Fireworks explosion during religious festival in Mexico kills at least 10

Videos from the aftermath were also circulated online showing people moving through thick smoke and scattered debris as they searched for survivors. Some victims were reportedly trapped beneath collapsed structures.

A celebration turned tragedy in Mexico killed at least 10 people while leaving 64 injured after pyrotechnic material exploded during a religious festival in Temascalcingo on Saturday night. The explosion collapsed walls and sent hundreds of people fleeing in panic, authorities said.

The blast occurred beside the Nuestra Señora de la Luz church in the central Mexican town where residents were gathered to watch a fireworks display being held as part of celebrations for the local patron saint. The municipality is located about 160 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of Mexico City.

The explosion brought down the walls of surrounding buildings and triggered a fire in the town square. Footage circulating online from the accident shows people dancing around with the firework structure in celebration. It was after a couple of rounds that the pyrotechnics began going berserk.

Due to the nature of the structure, the smoke from the firework billowed rapidly in the air before the people could react to the mishap. Videos from the aftermath were also circulated online showing people moving through thick smoke and scattered debris as they searched for survivors. Some victims were reportedly trapped beneath collapsed structures.

The cause of the explosion has not yet been established. The Mexico State Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into the incident. A local bishop said two priests were among those injured in the blast.

The explosion occurred during a traditional festival ritual in which a straw bull fitted with fireworks is burned and carried around the town. Video footage showed the blast striking as crowds stood outside the church, with the force of the explosion causing widespread panic.

Emergency responders and residents rushed to help those caught in the blast, as the scale of the destruction became clear in the aftermath. Temascalcingo, a municipality with about 66,000 residents, was hosting hundreds of people for the religious celebrations when the explosion occurred.

The incident has once again highlighted the dangers posed by pyrotechnics in Mexico, where fireworks are widely used during street celebrations, religious festivals and other public gatherings.

Similar accidents have occurred in the country before. Nearly four years ago, a powerful fireworks explosion in a village in the municipality of Huejutla, in the central state of Hidalgo, left 17 people injured.