Survivors are treated at hospitals in Hermosillo
\n Mexico City
\nA supermarket explosion killed at least 23 people in northern Mexico on Saturday, according to local officials, with investigators saying the blast was an accident possibly caused by a faulty electric transformer.
\n\u201cSadly, a number of the victims we\u2019ve found were minors,\u201d Alfonso Durazo, governor of Sonora state, said in a video message as he announced the toll of 23 dead and another 11 injured.
\nDurazo said the survivors were being treated at hospitals in the city of Hermosillo, where the explosion took place.
\n\u201cI have ordered an extensive and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and figure out those responsible,\u201d he said.
\nThe prosecutor\u2019s office said in a statement that \u201cthe working assumption is that the incident was accidental, and the investigation is looking into a transformer located inside the store.\u201d
\n\u201cOnce the firefighters allow access into the building… it will be possible to precisely determine the cause of the incident,\u201d it added.
\nThe explosion happened at a Waldo\u2019s store in the city center.
\n\u201cNobody will face this pain alone. From the very first moments, emergency, security and health services responded with great professionalism and commitment, controlling the situation and saving lives,\u201d the governor said.
\nMexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X \u201cto the families and loved ones of those who died.\u201d
\n\u201cI have been in contact with the Sonora governor, Alfonso Durazo, to provide support where needed. I\u2019ve instructed Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez to send a support team to assist the families and the injured,\u201d she continued.
\nMexican media reports said customers sought refuge inside the store after the explosion, only to become trapped by the flames. Images in local media showed the building\u2019s facade blackened from the fire with windows shattered.
\nNewspaper El Universal said the explosion occurred around 2:00pm (2000 GMT) and that nearby businesses opted to close their doors in order to prevent the fire from spreading there.
\nLocal authorities urged members of the public to avoid the area of the explosion, and canceled celebrations scheduled to be held that day in honor of the Day of the Dead holiday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Survivors are treated at hospitals in Hermosillo Mexico City A supermarket explosion killed at least 23 people in northern Mexico on Saturday, according to local officials, with investigators saying the blast was an accident possibly caused by a faulty electric transformer. \u201cSadly, a number of the victims we\u2019ve found were minors,\u201d Alfonso Durazo, governor of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":512431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-512386","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n