A powerful blast at an illegal fireworks workshop near Mexico City left seven people dead and 15 injured.
The explosion occurred late Monday, March 20th, at a house used to make fireworks in the state of Morelos, just south of the capital.
Photos distributed Tuesday by the Morelos state civil defense office showed that the blast in the town of Totolapan was so powerful it blew apart the concrete and cinderblock home. One of the injured was listed in extremely serious condition, authorities said.
#AlMomento elementos de la Dirección de Atención a Emergencias y Desastres acuden a reporte de una explosión en el municipio de #Totolapan, se solicita a la población ceder el paso a los vehículos de emergencia.
— Protección Civil Morelos (@PC_Morelos) March 21, 2023
Información del incidente se encuentra en proceso. pic.twitter.com/ujFkbB019L
Fireworks are commonly used at religious and community celebrations in Mexico and are often manufactured at small-scale, family workshops. Explosions at such workshops are common and have cost dozens of lives in recent years.
Legal production facilities must adhere to certain standards and obtain a permit from the country’s Defense Department.
In 2018, 24 people were killed in an explosion of fireworks in the town of Tultepec, just north of Mexico City, in the worst such blast in recent memory.
Source: OEM