At Least 22 Dead in Department Store Explosion in Mexico’s Sonora State

Mexico City — At least 22 people, including four children, were killed after an explosion triggered a massive fire at a department store in Hermosillo, the capital of Mexico’s northern state of Sonora, local media reported.

The explosion occurred in the afternoon at a chain department store located in the city center. Witnesses said the blaze spread rapidly through the building and nearby vehicles, trapping several people inside, according to Xinhua news agency.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene to carry out search-and-rescue operations and transport the injured to nearby hospitals. At least 12 people were reported injured, many suffering severe burns.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire may have been caused by smoke from a malfunctioning transformer. The explosion reportedly took place inside a branch of the local retail chain Waldo’s, after which the entire structure was engulfed in flames.

Authorities in Sonora confirmed that the possibility of a terrorist attack has been ruled out.

The tragic incident follows another deadly explosion in September, when a gas tanker truck overturned and exploded in Mexico City, killing three people and injuring more than 50. That blast, which occurred under the Concordia bridge on Zaragoza Road, damaged 18 vehicles and left 19 victims in critical condition, according to city officials.

With inputs from IANS