MEXICO CITY (AP) – A fire and explosion at a convenience store in northwestern Mexico has killed at least 23 people, including children, and injured 12 others, state authorities said.
The fire broke out Saturday in downtown Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state, Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo said in a video posted on social media.
Six people remained hospitalized as of Sunday morning, according to the Sonora state prosecutor’s office. Sonora state Attorney General Gustavo Salas Chávez said a preliminary investigation found the deaths were caused by inhalation of toxic gas.
Images circulating on social media show a massive fire engulfing a Waldos store. One video showed a burnt man lying on the asphalt several meters (yards) from the store’s entrance.
Prosecutors said they believed the fire was caused by a transformer, but the exact cause was under investigation.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sent her “deepest condolences” to the families and loved ones of the victims. She said she was in touch with the state governor to provide assistance and had instructed Interior Secretary Rosa Isela Rodríguez to send a team to assist the families of the victims and the injured.
Waldo’s also mourned the death on social media and said it was cooperating with authorities.
