Mexico City: At least 22 people, including four children, lost their lives after a powerful explosion triggered a massive fire at a department store in Hermosillo, the capital of the northern Mexican state of Sonora, local media reported.
The blast occurred in the afternoon at a branch of the Waldo’s department store chain located in the city center. Witnesses said the flames rapidly engulfed the building and nearby vehicles, trapping several people inside, according to Xinhua news agency.
Emergency teams rushed to the site to carry out search and rescue operations. Twelve injured individuals were taken to local hospitals for treatment, officials said.
Preliminary findings indicate that the explosion may have been caused by smoke from a malfunctioning transformer. Authorities have ruled out any possibility of a terrorist attack.
This incident follows another tragic explosion in Mexico City in September, when a gas tanker truck overturned and exploded on Zaragoza Road under the Concordia bridge, killing three people and injuring more than 50. Nineteen of the victims were reported to be in serious condition.
The tanker, with a capacity of 49,500 liters, caught fire around 2:20 p.m. local time, damaging 18 nearby vehicles. The injured were transported to various hospitals, according to Clara Brugada Molina, head of the Mexico City government.
