Mexico: Death Toll Rises After Firework-Related Explosion in Tultepec

The death toll continues to rise after a fireworks-related explosion claimed the lives of at least 19 persons in a state in central Mexico, authorities said Thursday.

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The two explosions at fireworks workshops outside Mexico City claimed the lives of rescue workers, and injured dozens more, officials said, in the latest deadly blast to hit a town known for its fireworks production.

After a first blast in the municipality of Tultepec, firefighters, police and other rescue workers arrived at the scene when a second explosion occurred, the state government said in a statement.

"Emergency crews attended the call of the first explosion, when a second incident occurred, killing and injuring members of these groups," the statement said.

Television images showed a plume of smoke rising over buildings on the outskirts of Tultepec and scores of firefighters and rescue workers at the scene.

Luis Felipe Puente, the head of Mexico's civil protection agency, told local television there were at least 19 fatalities and 40 people injured.

There has been a series of blasts at the fireworks markets, workshops and depots in Tultepec, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Mexico City, including a series of massive explosions in a market in December 2016 that killed around three dozen people.

Puente said the sale of fireworks in the area would be suspended and the permits of manufacturers would be reviewed.