HERMOSILLO, Mexico (BN24)— A fire and explosion at a convenience store in northwestern Mexico on Saturday killed at least 23 people, including children, and injured 12 others, state authorities said.
The blaze occurred in downtown Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state, Sonora Gov. Alfonso Durazo said in a video posted on social media.
Sonora Attorney General Gustavo Salas Chávez provided the death toll and said the injured were transported to six hospitals throughout Hermosillo.
Salas Chávez said preliminary investigations showed the deaths were caused by “inhalation of toxic gases.”
“At this time we have no indication that leads us to presume the fire was intentional,” he said, noting authorities had not ruled out any line of investigation.
Images circulating on social media showed a massive fire engulfing the Waldo’s store in the heart of the city. One video showed a burned man collapsing onto the asphalt a few meters from the store entrance, illustrating the severity of the incident.
The tragedy struck the downtown commercial district of Hermosillo, a city of approximately 900,000 people located in northwestern Mexico near the border with the United States. The convenience store fire represents one of the deadliest such incidents in recent Mexican history.
The presence of children among the victims adds to the tragedy, though authorities have not released specific details about the ages of those killed or the circumstances that led to children being in the store at the time of the fire and explosion.
The distribution of injured victims across six separate hospitals in Hermosillo suggests the severity of the injuries sustained and the strain placed on local medical facilities in responding to the emergency. The nature and extent of injuries to the 12 survivors have not been publicly disclosed.
The finding that toxic gas inhalation caused the deaths indicates the fire produced dangerous fumes that proved fatal to those trapped inside or near the store. Such gases can include carbon monoxide and other combustion byproducts that quickly overcome victims in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
While authorities stated they have no current indication the fire was intentional, the attorney general’s comment that no line of investigation has been ruled out suggests investigators are examining multiple possible causes, including accidental ignition, equipment malfunction or other factors that could have sparked the blaze.
The explosion component of the incident raises questions about what materials or substances may have been present in the store that could have fueled such a violent event. Convenience stores typically stock various products, some of which may be flammable or combustible under certain conditions.
Emergency response teams faced the challenge of battling the massive fire while simultaneously attempting to rescue trapped individuals and provide immediate medical care to survivors. The scale of the response, involving multiple hospitals and emergency personnel, reflects the magnitude of the disaster.
Hermosillo residents and Mexican officials have not yet released information about memorial services or support for families of the victims. The investigation into the cause of the fire and explosion continues as authorities work to determine what sparked the deadly incident and whether any safety violations or other factors contributed to the tragedy.
The incident serves as a reminder of the dangers posed by fires in commercial establishments and the critical importance of fire safety measures, emergency preparedness and rapid evacuation procedures in protecting lives during such emergencies.
