On December 12, 1988, an explosion and subsequent fire triggered by illegal fireworks at the La Merced Market in La Merced, a neighborhood of Mexico City, killed more than 60 people.
| Date | December 12, 1988 |
|---|---|
| Time | 14:30 CST |
| Venue | La Merced Market |
| Location | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Type | Fireworks accident |
| Deaths | At least 62 |
| Non-fatal injuries | Up to 83 |
The fireworks accident took place at about 14:30 local time,[1] in an alley next to the main market.[2] El País reported that the fire began when a gas cylinder used by a street food vendor exploded.[3] According to one witness, a single crate of fireworks initially exploded, which triggered a chain reaction of more exploding firework crates.[4] The fireworks immediately sparked a fire that spread to several nearby buildings containing shops and apartments, as well as almost 300 stalls in the marketplace.[1][2] Fires continued for most of the rest of the day.[4]
By nightfall on the 12th, 51 people had been confirmed dead by the Red Cross, with up to 83 injuries.[4] By the 13th, the death toll had reached at least 60, with the fire department saying that 62 people had died and the police putting the number at 64.[1]
In response to the disaster, Mexico city mayor Manuel Camacho Solis ordered the sale and use of fireworks in the city to be made illegal; previously, vendors selling fireworks were required to have a permit, while their use was unregulated.[1] Local reaction to the ban was skeptical, as residents said that illegal fireworks vendors frequently bribed local officials, who then ignored complaints about the situation.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "Mexico City Bans Fireworks; Blaze Toll at 62". The Los Angeles Times. December 13, 1988. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ a b "At Least 52 Killed in Mexico City In Fireworks Explosion and Blaze". The New York Times. December 12, 1988. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
- ^ Caño, Antonio (December 13, 1988). "Tragedia en México al incendiarse un alamacén de cohetes". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved August 11, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Fireworks Blast in Mexico City Kills 51". The Los Angeles Times. December 12, 1988. Retrieved December 22, 2016.