Explosions ripped through a fireworks market in Tultepec, Mexcio, as huge smoke plumes billowed into the sky. People as far away as Mexico City (located about 40 kilometers south of Tultepec) were able to feel the ground rumbling from the blast.
29 people were killed and 72 were injured, with 3 minors to be sent to Galveston, Texas to get treatment for severe burns they sustained.
The San Pablito Market where the blast took place is a popular spot to buy fireworks. Tultepec is known for its fireworks industries. They even have a “Pyro Street.” The market was crowded with holiday shoppers. While this market is known to be one of the safest in the region, the cause of the blast is not known.
Emergency responders came to try to help the injured. Firefighters could only wait for the unexploded fireworks to explode.
A Red Cross video shows emergency responders coming to a smoky and fiery market to take care of the injured:
Acuden 10 ambulancias de @CruzRojaEM con 50 paramédicos al incendio en el mercado de cohetes de #Tultepec. pic.twitter.com/N0VucD83GE
— Cruz Roja Mexicana (@CruzRoja_MX) December 20, 2016