06 November 2022

Seventeen hurt in fireworks blast at Day of the Dead celebration in Mexican town

06 November 2022

A fireworks explosion at a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico hurt 17 people, authorities said.

The blast occurred on Saturday in the township of Huejutla in Mexico’s Gulf coast region known as the Huasteca.

The Huejutla municipal government said residents of the village of Tehuetlan were celebrating the end of Xantolo, which is the Huasteca regional variant of the Day of the Dead.

Its celebrations last beyond the normal November 1-2 observance.

A pile of fireworks were set alight in the street and exploded, showering the surrounding crowd in sparks and explosions, the government said.

A video purporting to show the accident was shared on Twitter.

The township said two pregnant women and three children were among those hurt. One of the girls suffered second-degree burns.

Fireworks accidents are not uncommon in Mexico.

In September, one person died and 39 were injured when fireworks exploded during a festival just west of Mexico City.

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