Fireworks explosion during festival in central Mexico results in at least 10 deaths

At least 10 people have been killed and at least 60 wounded in Mexico when fireworks detonated during a village festival, according to the local government. The incident occurred in Santa Maria Canchesda, located in the Temascalcingo municipality in central Mexico. Video footage showed participants carrying a bull made of straw, which had fireworks attached, during the celebration on Saturday, part of a local ritual. The burning bull reportedly ignited a larger stockpile of fireworks stored in the village church, leading to an explosion that knocked down walls and started a fire in the town square. Local media reported that some individuals were trapped under debris from the blast. The diocese of the nearby municipality of Atlacomulco stated that two priests were injured but are expected to survive. A statement from the diocese expressed condolences for the victims and their families, as well as support for the injured. Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office announced that the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined and an investigation is underway. Firework-related accidents have previously resulted in fatalities in Mexico, including a 2018 explosion that killed 24 people at a fireworks factory in Tultepec and another incident in 2016 that claimed 42 lives in a market explosion.