Armed men hijack live TV broadcast as Ecuador rocked by attacks
In Ecuador armed men broke into live TV amid a series of explosions and police abductions after the government imposed a state of emergency.
It was a day like any other at the TC Television studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with its mid-afternoon newscast underway, when the masked gunmen burst in unleashing at least 15 minutes of threats and fear — all broadcast live
First a man with a pistol appeared in the middle of the public TV station’s live transmission followed by a second man with a shotgun, then a third and more. With the show’s “After the News” title behind them, station employees were brought onto the set and ordered to lie down. Screams could be heard followed by the sounds of gunshots.
“We are on air, so you know that you cannot play with the mafia,” one of the assailants is heard saying.
Masked gunmen could be seen aiming guns at news staff. Someone said: “Don’t shoot!” After about 15 minutes the transmission was cut.
The unprecedented assault on a TV station in Ecuador came hours after a series of other attacks and police officer abductions. It also followed the apparent escapes from prison of two of the leaders of Ecuador’s most powerful gangs.
Rating: 5