An explosion in a fireworks factory in a northern suburb of Mexico has killed 19 people. The fatalities included four firefighters and two police officers who were attending the scene.
The explosion occurred on Friday the 6th in the suburb of Tultepec. The firefighters and police officers were killed when a second explosion occurred after they had arrived on scene. Forty other people were injured by the explosion.
Luis Felipe Puente, head of Mexico’s civil defence agency, said there were four blasts in total and the explosions started at an unauthorised, clandestine workshop before spreading as the flammable material shot into the air.
Deadly explosions occur with regularity in Tultepec, where many residents earn a living fabricating and selling fireworks, an essential part of holiday celebrations in Mexico and across Latin America. In June, seven people were killed in an explosion in the town. The 2016 blast resulted in a massive fire in the town’s main fireworks market.
Similar fires engulfed the same market in 2005 and 2006.
Image for illustration.
About the Author
Asia Pacific Fire, Editor
