Children among 23 killed in Mexico supermarket explosion

A supermarket explosion killed at least 23 people in northern Mexico on Saturday, according to local officials, with investigators saying the blast was an accident possibly caused by a faulty electric transformer.

"Sadly a number of the victims we've found were minors," Alfonso Durazo, governor of Sonora state, said in a video message as he announced the toll.

Gustavo Salas, the state prosecutor, said most victims had died of toxic gas inhalation.

He confirmed in a video shared by his office that the dead include some minors, but did not elaborate as the process of identifying the bodies was still ongoing.

Salas added that 12 people were injured and treated at hospitals in the city of Hermosillo, where the explosion took place.

Damaged vehicles are parked in front of a convenience store destroyed by a fire, in Hermosillo, Sonora state. AP

Durazo said he had "ordered an extensive and transparent investigation to determine the causes of the incident and figure out those responsible."

The prosecutor's office said in a statement that "the working assumption is that the incident was accidental, and the investigation is looking into a transformer located inside the store."

Prosecutor Salas later said that there was no indication that this was an intentional act, but "we don't rule out any line of investigation."

The explosion happened at a Waldo's store in the city center.

A statement shared on the supermarket chain's social media pages expressed "profound" sadness at the lives lost, and promised to work "transparently and responsibly" with the authorities investigating what had happened.

Govt deploys support team

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on X "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 added.

A policeman stands near a convenience store destroyed by a fire in Hermosillo, Sonora state, Mexico,. AP

The governor said that "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."

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 blackened from the fire with windows shattered.

Newspaper El Universal said the explosion occurred around 2:00 pm (2000 GMT) and that nearby businesses opted to close their doors in order to prevent the fire from spreading there.

Local authorities urged members of the public to avoid the area of the explosion, and canceled celebrations scheduled to be held in honor of the Day of the Dead holiday.

Agence France-Presse