Fireworks explosion kills at least 10 at Mexico festival

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Pyrotechnic material exploded during the festival for a patron saint in a town in Mexico State, collapsing a wall, killing at least 10 people and injuring another 64, Mexican authorities said.

The explosion occurred Saturday night next to the Nuestra Señora de la Luz church in Temascalcingo, a municipality in central Mexico with 66,000 residents. Hundreds of them were preparing to watch a fireworks display that is part of a religious festival when the blast occurred.

The municipality is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of Mexico City.

The cause of the explosion has not been determined and the Mexico State Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation.

A local bishop said two priests are among the injured.

A video on social media shows the aftermath of the blast, with dozens of people walking through smoke and debris in search of survivors.

Explosions involving pyrotechnics are common in Mexico, where fireworks are frequently used in street celebrations and religious festivals. Almost 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.

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墨西哥当局称，在墨西哥州的一个小镇举行的守护神节庆活动中，烟火材料发生爆炸，导致一堵墙倒塌，造成至少 10 人死亡，另有 64 人受伤。

爆炸发生在周六晚间，地点位于墨西哥中部特马斯卡尔辛戈市的圣母光明教堂附近。特马斯卡尔辛戈市是一个拥有6.6万居民的城市。爆炸发生时，数百名居民正准备观看一场作为宗教节日一部分的烟花表演。

该市位于墨西哥城西北约 160 公里（100 英里）处。

爆炸原因尚未确定，墨西哥州检察长办公室已展开调查。

当地一位主教表示，伤者中有两名神父。

社交媒体上的一段视频显示了爆炸后的景象，数十人在烟雾和瓦砾中寻找幸存者。

在墨西哥，烟花爆炸事件屡见不鲜，街头庆祝活动和宗教节日中经常燃放烟花。大约四年前，墨西哥中部伊达尔戈州韦胡特拉市的一个村庄发生一起威力巨大的烟花爆炸，造成17人受伤。