Y
A supermarket explosion on Saturday killed at least 23 people and injured 11 in northern Mexico, local officials said, while public security authorities ruled out an attack.
“Sadly, a number of the victims we’ve found were minors,” Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo said in a video message as he announced the toll.
Photo: EPA
The survivors were being treated at hospitals in the city of Hermosillo, where the explosion took place, Durazo said.
“I have ordered an extensive and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and figure out those responsible,” he said.
The explosion happened at a Waldo’s store in the city center.
“Nobody 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,” the governor said.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on social media “to the families and loved ones of those who died.”
“I have been in contact with the Sonora governor, Alfonso Durazo, to provide support where needed. I’ve instructed Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodriguez to send a support team in order to assist the families and the injured,” she continued.
Mexican 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’s facade scorched from the fire and windows shattered.
Newspaper El Universal said the explosion occurred about 2pm local time, and that nearby businesses closed their doors to prevent the fire from spreading.
Local 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.
REVENGE: Trump said he had the support of the Syrian government for the strikes, which took place in response to an Islamic State attack on US soldiers last week The US launched large-scale airstrikes on more than 70 targets across Syria, the Pentagon said on Friday, fulfilling US President Donald Trump’s vow to strike back after the killing of two US soldiers. “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media. “Today, we hunted and we killed our enemies. Lots of them. And we will continue.” The US Central Command said that fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapon sites. “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned
Seven wild Asiatic elephants were killed and a calf was injured when a high-speed passenger train collided with a herd crossing the tracks in India’s northeastern state of Assam early yesterday, local authorities said. The train driver spotted the herd of about 100 elephants and used the emergency brakes, but the train still hit some of the animals, Indian Railways spokesman Kapinjal Kishore Sharma told reporters. Five train coaches and the engine derailed following the impact, but there were no human casualties, Sharma said. Veterinarians carried out autopsies on the dead elephants, which were to be buried later in the day. The accident site
‘POLITICAL LOYALTY’: The move breaks with decades of precedent among US administrations, which have tended to leave career ambassadors in their posts US President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered dozens of US ambassadors to step down, people familiar with the matter said, a precedent-breaking recall that would leave embassies abroad without US Senate-confirmed leadership. The envoys, career diplomats who were almost all named to their jobs under former US president Joe Biden, were told over the phone in the past few days they needed to depart in the next few weeks, the people said. They would not be fired, but finding new roles would be a challenge given that many are far along in their careers and opportunities for senior diplomats can
RUSHED: The US pushed for the October deal to be ready for a ceremony with Trump, but sometimes it takes time to create an agreement that can hold, a Thai official said Defense officials from Thailand and Cambodia are to meet tomorrow to discuss the possibility of resuming a ceasefire between the two countries, Thailand’s top diplomat said yesterday, as border fighting entered a third week. A ceasefire agreement in October was rushed to ensure it could be witnessed by US President Donald Trump and lacked sufficient details to ensure the deal to end the armed conflict would hold, Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Sihasak Phuangketkeow said after an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur. The two countries agreed to hold talks using their General Border Committee, an established bilateral mechanism, with Thailand