May 10 (UPI) — An explosion killed at least 14 people in Mexico when an errant firecracker hit a warehouse storing fireworks for an upcoming religious holiday, authorities said.
The massive blast Monday night also injured at least 30 people in San Isidro, a rural village about 150 miles east of Mexico City.
“A firecracker launched by someone outside fell on top of the fireworks, causing the explosion,” the Puebla government said in a statement.
Local residents gathered Tuesday to mourn the victims, who were mostly children, according to authorities.
The fireworks, intended for the local patron saint’s festival on May 15, were stored in a warehouse behind a church.
Accidental blasts are not uncommon in Mexico, where festivals and holidays are often celebrated with fireworks.
In December, just days before Christmas, an explosion at a fireworks market in central Mexico killed at least 29 people and injured dozens more.
