Violence rattles Ecuador as a nightclub arson kills 2 and a bomb scare sparks an evacuation

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — A bomb threat has sent an anti-explosives unit into a bustling area of Ecuador’s tense capital as the South American nation staggers under a spike of violence blamed on drug gangs. Police say they evacuated people from the area around a bus station in Quito after being alerted about a backpack with explosives Thursday. The backpack turned out to not have any explosives. But the event happened a day after explosives placed in five different areas around Quito caused minor damage. Authorities also say unknown suspects set fire to a nightclub in the Amazon city of Coca. Officials say two people were killed and nine others injured as the blaze spread to 11 nearby stores. The latest violent incidents come after President Daniel Noboa declared a national state of emergency.