The bodies of seven prisoners were found on Saturday within the Penitenciaria del Litoral, Ecuador's most violent prison, located in the southern city of Guayaquil.

The bodies were found in a pavilion used for conjugal visits and police have stepped in to investigate, authorities said without providing further details. The deaths of four other prisoners in the jail during October are also under investigation.

The prison was gripped by riots last month that saw 119 inmates killed and over 80 injured in gang-related violence.

Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency for the country's penitentiaries last month to free up resources and increase control inside prisons.

Members of the military have also been brought in to help control prisons across the country.

Officials say gangs have alliances with transnational criminal groups and are battling over drug trafficking routes.

Since the beginning of the month, Ecuador's police have brought violence in Penitenciaria del Litoral under control, officials said, adding that other prisons were also under control.

(With input from Reuters)