At least 23 killed in northern Mexico store fire

At least 23 people have been killed and 11 others injured in a fire that broke out at a general store in northern Mexico, local officials have said.

The blaze occurred at a branch of the Waldo’s discount store chain in the city of Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state, Caliber.Az reports via CNN.

Governor Alfonso Durazo confirmed the death toll in a video address, describing the tragedy as one that “has left deep sadness among all the people of Sonora.”

“So far, there are reports of 23 people dead and 11 injured who are being treated at different hospitals in the city. Unfortunately, among the victims are minors,” Durazo said.

According to local broadcaster Uniradio Sonora, which cited Carlos Freaner, president of the Mexican Red Cross, the victims included 12 women, five men, four boys, and two girls.

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences to the victims’ families and those affected by the incident. “I instructed the Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, to send a support team to assist the families and the injured,” she wrote on X.

Authorities said the cause of the fire remains under investigation. The Sonora Public Security Secretariat stated that the blaze was not the result of arson or any intentional act of violence, without providing further details.