An explosion of pyrotechnic material during a religious festival in the city of Temascalcingo, in the central region of Mexico, killed at least 10 people and injured another 64, according to information from local authorities. The incident occurred on Saturday night (5) during the festivities at the Church of Our Lady of Light, as part of the celebrations in honor of the patron saint of Santa Maria Canchesda.
The event brought together hundreds of people who were preparing to watch a fireworks show, part of the programming of a festival already traditional in the city, which has approximately 66 thousand inhabitants. The possible origin of the flames was a straw bull, from which the fireworks would be launched as part of a local ritual.
The flames quickly spread to a larger fireworks storage facility located at the church, causing an explosion of great intensity. The impact was sufficient to knock down walls of the church and start a fire in the town square, as reported by the AFP news agency.
People were trapped under the rubble after the explosion, and rescue teams continued working at the site to look for possible survivors among the wreckage of the tragedy.
