MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The Ecuadorian authorities are in complete control of the situation in the South American country’s capital, Quito, against the background of an outbreak of gang violence, Russian Ambassador to Ecuador Vladimir Sprinchan told Izvestia.

"Authorities are in complete control of the situation in the city of Quito. Public transportation is functioning relatively normally; stores are open," the diplomat said.

He explained that the embassy is in constant contact with the Ecuadorian police and, as of January 10, the Russian diplomatic mission had received no information concerning any casualties among Russian nationals residing in or visiting the country.

Commenting on the situation in the capital, the envoy noted that due to the emergency situation regime, all students are attending classes remotely and all state employees have switched to working from home. "Yet this does not speak of any great danger. Simply to avoid hostage-taking, to avoid unnecessary casualties among civilians, the state acted where it could to regulate the mode of work," Sprinchan clarified.