Fireworks Blast During Religious Festival in Central Mexico Kills 10
A fireworks explosion during a religious festival in Santa Maria Canchesda, Mexico, killed at least 10 and injured 64.
A powerful explosion of pyrotechnic material during a religious festival in central Mexico has killed at least 10 people and injured 64 others, according to local authorities. The blast occurred on Saturday night near the Nuestra Señora de la Luz church in Santa Maria Canchesda, a town in the municipality of Temascalcingo, Mexico State.
Hundreds of people had gathered to witness a fireworks display tied to the town's patron saint celebrations when the explosion ripped through the area, causing a wall to collapse. The force of the blast sent attendees scrambling for safety, with many searching desperately for loved ones in the ensuing chaos.
Constantina Crisóforo Albarrán, a survivor, described the terrifying moments following the explosion. "We didn't know exactly what happened. We just heard the explosion, and then we all ran in different directions looking for our relatives," she said. "Some people took cover, while the cashiers were trapped in the bathrooms. Some died instantly."
On Sunday, residents gathered outside the closed church, watching from behind barriers as police and emergency personnel conducted their investigation. The municipality is located roughly 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Mexico City.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, and the Mexico State Attorney General's Office has opened an investigation. A local bishop has confirmed that two priests are among the injured.
Valentín Garduño, a relative of one of the injured, said his family member was a festival organizer. "He went to the celebration because he was one of the festival organizers, and that's where he was hurt," Garduño said. "He's in the hospital now. We hope he makes a speedy recovery."
Explosions involving fireworks are not uncommon in Mexico, where pyrotechnics are frequently used in street celebrations and religious festivals. Nearly four years ago, a similar incident in the village of Huejutla, in the central state of Hidalgo, left 17 people injured.