At least 22 people were affected when a gas explosion destroyed a food establishment on Avenida Casuarina in northwestern Guayaquil on Sunday morning, August 23, prompting an immediate emergency response and national government aid.
Ecuador's national emergency service, ECU911, reported that at least 22 individuals had been impacted by the blast as of 4:30 p.m. Preliminary assessments by the Ministry of Labor and Human Development indicated that ten families suffered direct losses from the explosion, which took place at the Entrada de la 8 intersection in Ecuador's main port city.
In response to the emergency, Cynthia Gellibert, the Minister of Labor and Human Development, ordered technical teams to deploy immediately to the blast site and to Monte Sinaí General Hospital. The ministry stated that team members were working alongside the National Secretariat for Risk Management, the state agency responsible for disaster response, to accompany affected residents, evaluate family needs, and activate social protection mechanisms.
The ministry confirmed it will maintain continuous support for the victims while municipal and emergency entities evaluate the full consequences of the explosion. Government officials announced that direct humanitarian aid would be delivered to the impacted families on Monday, August 24, to address urgent survival and recovery needs during the initial aftermath.
Authorities emphasized that social and medical tracking will continue as the overall count of affected individuals is consolidated. Current figures combine the general incident reports managed by ECU911 with patient records from Monte Sinaí General Hospital, where many of the victims were taken following the detonation.
Hospital cares for 14 injured including six children
Fourteen injured individuals were admitted for emergency treatment at Monte Sinaí General Hospital, a primary healthcare facility serving the populous northwestern sector of Guayaquil. Medical officials confirmed that six of the admitted patients were minors, who were placed under continuous medical observation in the pediatric unit.
According to a preliminary medical report issued by the hospital, three patients were discharged after receiving sutures for minor wounds and undergoing health evaluations. Three adult patients remained under hospital observation due to contusions and excoriations, while two adults who suffered severe burns were admitted to the intensive care unit, where they remained under critical care with a reserved medical prognosis.
Gas accumulation triggered morning detonation
The explosion occurred at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, with ECU911 registering the emergency alert at 8:06 a.m. The central dispatch agency coordinated the immediate mobilization of response units from the Guayaquil Fire Department, the National Police of Ecuador, and the municipal Transit and Mobility Agency.
Public security surveillance cameras operated by Segura EP, Guayaquil's municipal security enterprise, captured the moment of the blast. ECU911 reported that the incident was caused by the explosion of a gas tank, while the Guayaquil Fire Department stated that an accumulation of combustible gas inside the establishment triggered the detonation.
Two fire combat units were deployed to the location to suppress remaining hazards and verify that no additional gas leaks were present. Firefighters extracted several gas cylinders from the building during the operation. The force of the explosion blew structural parts of the facade onto the pedestrian sidewalk and shattered glass windows throughout the premises.
