An explosion at a home-based, illegal fireworks factory killed six people and injured nine Monday night in Puebla.
It was the second such incident in two days. One person was killed and six people were injured under similar circumstances on Sunday when gunpowder exploded at an illegal fireworks operation in Juan C. Bonilla.
Monday’s blast took place in the community of Santiago Tenango in Felipe Ángeles. Two of the dead were children aged 13 and 15. Only two of those who were injured required hospitalization but one, a 13-year-old girl, was reported in grave condition Tuesday morning with second-degree burns.
At least six homes were also severely damaged in the blast, which took place about 7:30 p.m.
Puebla Governor Miguel Barbosa confirmed that the incident took place in an unlicensed fireworks factory and ordered officials to carry out inspections of fireworks makers throughout the state to identify those that are operating without permits from the Ministry of National Defense.
Fireworks is a big business in some parts of Mexico and this is a busy time of year for manufacturers. And explosions are not uncommon.
What was probably the worst incident killed 46 people in Tultepec, México state, in 2016 when several explosions ripped through and destroyed Mexico’s biggest fireworks market.
The market itself was legal but regulations controlling the distance between individual vendors’ stands had been relaxed. Officials concluded at the time that the damage would have been less severe had the regulations been enforced.
With reports from El Universal and e-consulta
