Deadly fireworks blast through market in Mexico killing dozens in tragic accident

At least 29 people have died, including a number of children, when a series of explosions ripped through a market in a suburb 20 miles (32km) north of Mexico City. According to reports, the San Pablito market in Tultepec sold fireworks.

A government official earlier told Reuters that the death toll was "preliminary" and is likely to rise. Around 70 victims are reported injured and have been taken to local hospitals, some with breathing problems.

Several videos posted online show the extent of the blasts. In one, apparently filmed from a nearby flyover, the sound of fireworks exploding can be heard for at least a minute.

Another film, apparently taken from a drone following the disaster, shows charred market stalls and emergency workers looking for survivors.

A number of nearby homes were also damaged in the blast. Luis Felipe Puente, head of national emergency services, said the number of people injured could rise.

According to The Mirror, Tultepec is famous for its fireworks industry and hosts a national pyrotechnic festival every year. Giant blasts are said to have destroyed the market twice before, in 2006 and 2007, leading to new safety measures being introduced. The cause of this latest blast has not yet been determined.

There have been a number of major incidents involving fireworks in recent years. In 2013, 16 people died in Mexico when a truck carrying explosives caught fire. In 2012, 40 people died in an explosion at a factory in India, and in May 2000, 22 people died in huge explosions in Enschede in the Netherlands.

In China, where fireworks were invented, there have been many fatal incidents in factories. According to Slate, between 1986 and 2005, when regulations became tighter, an average of 400 people died each year manufacturing fireworks.