In a tragic incident that unfolded in northwestern Mexico, a fire and subsequent explosion at a convenience store claimed the lives of at least 23 individuals, including children, and left 12 others injured. The devastating event occurred on Saturday, as confirmed by state officials.

The blaze erupted in downtown Hermosillo, the bustling capital of Sonora state. This was communicated by Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo through a video he shared on social media, highlighting the severity of the situation.

Gustavo Salas Chávez, the Attorney General of Sonora, provided further details regarding the casualties. He confirmed the number of fatalities and revealed that the injured victims were swiftly transported to six different hospitals across Hermosillo for medical attention.

Preliminary findings from the investigation suggest that the tragic deaths were primarily due to “inhalation of toxic gases,” according to Salas Chávez. He emphasized that while there is currently no evidence to suggest that the fire was deliberately set, authorities remain open to exploring all possible avenues in their ongoing investigation.

“At this time we have no indication that leads us to presume the fire was intentional,” he said, noting authorities had not ruled out any line of investigation.

Images circulating on social media show a massive fire engulfing the Waldo’s store. One video showed a burned man collapsing onto the asphalt a few meters (yards) from the store entrance.