29 Killed, Several Injured in Explosion at Mexico Fireworks Market

Firefighters and rescue workers remove debris from the scorched ground of Mexico’s fireworks market after explosion. (Photo: AP)

A massive explosion decimated the San Pablito Market in Mexico’s Tultepec on Tuesday, killing at least 29 and injuring several others.

Television images showed a flurry of pyrotechnics exploding into the early afternoon sky as a giant plume of smoke rose above Mexico’s most popular fireworks market. Fireworks detonated in a peal of clattering bursts reminiscent of a war zone.

Around 13 children, who sustained severe burns, were sent to the city of Galveston in Texas for treatment, said Eruviel Avila, the governor of the State of Mexico. He put the death toll at 29.

Mexican Federal Police announced via its official Twitter account what it called the preliminary toll from the afternoon blast.

The Mexican Red Cross said it sent 10 ambulances with 50 paramedics to the scene.

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

National Civil Protection Coordinator Luis Felipe Puente told Milenio television that some nearby homes were also damaged. The scene remained dangerous and he asked people not to come within 3 miles (5 kilometers) to avoid hampering the emergency response.

Fireworks continued to pop off long after the blast, and Puente added that there was no choice but to let any unexploded fireworks be consumed.

A fire engulfed the same market in 2005, touching off a chain of explosions that leveled hundreds of stalls just ahead of Mexico's Independence Day. A similar fire at the San Pablito Market also destroyed hundreds of stands in September 2006.

Many in Mexico traditionally celebrate holidays – including Christmas and New Year's –by setting off noisy firecrackers and rockets.

(With inputs from AP and Reuters.)