Seven gunmen stormed into Chone hospital, Ecuador, on Sunday (November 27), and spread terror among patients and staff. Gang members seized the hospital to kill a rival, a teenager nicknamed "Dirty Face", treated in the intensive care department.

A police officer, who was off duty, live-streamed the crazy scenes outside the hospital for approximately 30 minutes. He hid behind walls and followed policemen to capture the attack on camera.

The footage shows frightened hostages, including nurses, escaping the hospital in tears, half-naked and in a wheelchair. The video also features images of people clapping their hands and cheering as the military arrives in Chone (time-code 0.57).

The filmer said: "I live nearby and decided to film what was happening. People were astonished and scared. I like feeling this type of adrenaline and I'm not scared. This is not something I see happening every day and I wanted to document it. I have witnessed similar scenes in the past but not as this one".

The police arrested seven gunmen.

Ecuador is experiencing a rise in gang violence due to the expansion of the Mexican drug cartel. Back in November, President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in two provinces.

Translations:
0.17 - 0.19 "They are upstairs, they are upstairs. People are running".
0.37 - 0.41 "They seized the hospital. They seized the hospital. Be careful! Be careful!"
0.53 - 0.56 "They took the nurses and doctors as hostages, at the Chone hospital".
1.39 - 1.41 "Five people with rifles".
2.18 - 2.26 "Good job. People who were inside of the hospital keep coming out".

Gang violence ecuador