World

At least 31 dead after explosions rip through Mexico firework market

Explosions rip through the San Pablito fireworks' market in Tultepec, Mexico Picture by Jose Luis Tolentino via AP
Explosions rip through the San Pablito fireworks' market in Tultepec, Mexico Picture by Jose Luis Tolentino via AP Explosions rip through the San Pablito fireworks' market in Tultepec, Mexico Picture by Jose Luis Tolentino via AP

AT least 31 people have been killed and dozens more were badly burned after a series of explosions ripped through a fireworks market on the outskirts of Mexico City.

A chain reaction of blasts hit stalls which were bustling with hundreds of shoppers at the San Pablito fireworks market in Tultepec.

The facility was especially well stocked for the Christmas period, a time when fireworks are particularly popular in Mexico.

The third such blast to ravage the market on the northern outskirts of Mexico's capital since 2005 sent up a towering plume of smoke which was lit up by an eruption of smaller explosions and flashes of light.

Once the smoke cleared, the open-air bazaar was reduced to a stark expanse of ash, rubble and the charred metal of fireworks stands, casting a pall over the country's Christmas season.

Mexico State health officials said about 60 people were taken to hospital for injuries after Tuesday's explosion, including for severe burns.

On Wednesday, 47 people remained in hospital, including 10 children. Authorities have not yet said what may have caused the explosions.

Mexico State chief prosecutor Alejandro Gomez said the death toll rose to 31, after several people died at local hospitals.

Mr Gomez said some of the dead were so badly burned that neither their age nor their gender could be immediately determined. He said the toll could rise because 11 people were listed as missing and some body parts have been found at the scene.

A list of the nine bodies identified so far showed one of the dead included a three-month-old baby boy and a 12-year-old girl. Mr Gomez said a total of seven male minors were among the dead.

Survivor Crescencia Francisco Garcia said she was in the middle of the grid of stalls when the thunderous explosions began. She froze, reflexively looked up at the sky and then took off running through the smoke once she realized everyone was doing so. As she ran she saw people suffering from burns and cuts, and lots of blood.

"Everything was catching fire. Everything was exploding," Ms Francisco said.

"The stones were flying, pieces of brick, everything was flying."

Mexico State governor Eruviel Avila vowed that "we are going to identify who is responsible".

Tultepec mayor Armando Portuguez Fuentes said the market was especially well stocked because demand for noisy firecrackers and rockets soars this time of year.

"We are obviously in the high season," Mr Portuguez said.

"There was more product than usual because we are a few days away from Christmas, a few days away from new year's, and those are the days when the products made here are consumed the most."

Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto said via Twitter: "My condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident and my wishes for a quick recovery for the injured."

A similar fire engulfed the San Pablito Market in 2005, touching off a chain of explosions that levelled hundreds of stalls just ahead of Mexico's Independence Day.

A year later, a similar accident at the same market also destroyed hundreds of stands.

In an editorial, the newspaper El Universal called the blast "the traditional tragedy", noting "our country's fascination with fireworks has caused, among other things, a long series of accidents with terrible results".

Mr Portuguez, the Tultepec mayor, said the manufacture and sale of fireworks is a key part of the local economy. He added that it is regulated by law and under the "constant supervision" of the defence department, which oversees firearms and explosives.

"This is part of the activity of our town. It is what gives us identity," Mr Portuguez said.

"We know it is high-risk, we regret this greatly, but unfortunately many people's livelihoods depend on this activity."

Deadly fireworks explosions have occurred with some regularity in Mexico. In 2002, a blast at a market in the Gulf coast city of Veracruz killed 29; in 1999, 63 people died when an explosion of illegally stored fireworks destroyed part of the city of Celaya; and in 1988, a fireworks blast in Mexico City's La Merced market killed at least 68.