Guayaquil (Ecuador) (AFP) - A building in a central commercial complex in Guayaquil, Ecuador's main port, collapsed on Wednesday due to a "large fire", with no reported victims, the local fire chief reported.
First modification: 02/12/2026 - 04:41
The fire broke out on Wednesday morning and around 10:00 p.m. local time (03:00 GMT on Thursday) it had not yet been controlled, AFP confirmed.
The occupants of the complex, which includes commercial premises, warehouses, offices and also homes, had to evacuate after the emergency was declared, so electricity was suspended in the area, which at night was illuminated by large flares.
The construction was part of a complex of three buildings made of metal structures built about 40 years ago in the center of Guayaquil and near the popular Bahia commercial area.
The building collapsed due to the weight it supported and the temperature of about 800ºC caused by the fire, fire chief Martín Cucalón told reporters.
"It collapsed when the metal structure bent," he added.
The floors were overloaded with merchandise distributed over some 6,000 square meters, he noted, and said that at the moment there are "no reports of dead people."
He pointed out that the fire, which has been going on for twelve hours, spread, affecting another building that "is already yielded" and that "the third can be destroyed."
The authorities did not report the cause of the accident.
An industrial fire also broke out on Monday at a motorcycle factory in Guayaquil, leaving no victims.
© 2026 AFP
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