At least 11 people died and some 70 others were injured Friday when a truck loaded with fireworks exploded during a religious parade in a village near the capital, authorities said.
The blast occurred when a malfunctioned firework landed on the truck in the middle of a march for the Jesus Tepactepec village's patron saint, the civil protection department of Tlaxcala state said.
"We saw bodies flying, then everything went black," said an eyewitness named Isidro Garcia Vazquez.
Survivor Miguel Angel Piscin described the scenes of chaos following the explosion:
“There were lots of bodies lying on the ground, torn apart, no one was helping. I quickly got in my truck, put it in reverse and they pulled up 10 injured people.”
Authorities sent helicopters, ambulance vehilces and soldiers to the scene, about 110 km east of Mexico City, while Tlaxcala Governor Mariano Gonzalez Zarur declared three days of mourning.
Fireworks are commonly used in Mexican holidays and religious celebrations, but mishandling or lack of safety measures often lead to deadly accidents.
Authorities say the death toll could rise as many people were out on the street in preparation for the religious festival.
Saturday 16 March 2013
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-03/16/c_132238356.htm
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