A Mexico fireworks explosion during a religious festival killed 10 people and injured at least 81 in Santa María Canchesdá, according to updated reports. The Saturday night blast struck during celebrations honoring Our Lady of Light, turning a community gathering into a prolonged rescue operation.

Five women, three men and two children were killed, La Jornada reported. Five of the injured remained in serious condition. Earlier accounts placed the number of injured at 64, while still earlier figures listed 24 or 49 as emergency teams worked through the wreckage and hospitals received patients.

What happened beside the church?

Pyrotechnic material had been stored beside the Nuestra Señora de la Luz church in Santa María Canchesdá, an Otomí community in the municipality of Temascalcingo, State of Mexico. Temascalcingo has about 66,000 residents and sits near the border with Michoacán.

The stored fireworks exploded during the festival, causing a wall or part of a nearby structure to collapse. People were trapped beneath debris as emergency crews searched the site and transported casualties to hospitals.

Children and elderly residents were among those taken for treatment. Two priests, Fernando Chávez Cruz and Javier Sánchez Montes, were also injured. N+ later reported that both had received medical care and were out of danger.

Images from the scene showed extensive damage around the church and rescue workers moving through the remains. Authorities cordoned off the area while crews spent hours checking the rubble for victims.

Why have the casualty figures changed?

Initial casualty totals shifted as officials gathered information from hospitals and the scene, which is common after large explosions and not especially helpful for families waiting for firm answers.

The most widely corroborated figure remains 10 deaths. The Associated Press, El País, Expansión, La Jornada and El Universal all reported that total. La Jornada and El Universal later raised the number of injured to 81, replacing the earlier figure of 64.

One conflicting report from Noroeste listed 13 deaths and 49 injuries. However, official accounts and several major news organizations continued to report 10 people killed. No subsequent official announcement confirmed the higher death toll.

The updated figures show how heavily the disaster affected a relatively small Indigenous community. Beyond the 10 deaths, dozens of residents required medical attention, and five patients were reported in serious condition.

Were the fireworks properly stored and permitted?

That question now sits near the center of the investigation. State prosecutors have secured the site and begun collecting evidence, but authorities have not announced what triggered the explosion or whether anyone could face legal responsibility.

Mexico regulates pyrotechnics through the Secretariat of National Defense. Buying, storing, selling or using fireworks requires federal authorization. Applicants must provide documentation that includes:

  • Municipal approval for the proposed location
  • A civil protection assessment
  • Plans showing how pyrotechnic material will be stored
  • Proof that those handling it have appropriate training

The State of Mexico’s Institute of Pyrotechnics says only the Defense Ministry can authorize the manufacture, storage, transportation, sale and ignition of fireworks.

Officials have not said whether festival organizers held the required permits. They also have not disclosed whether the church-adjacent storage area met federal safety and location standards. The rules are detailed. Whether they were followed is the rather more urgent issue.

Investigators are expected to examine the storage arrangements, the quantity and type of pyrotechnics present, and how the material was handled before the blast. No official cause has been released.

How have religious and political leaders responded?

Adolfo Miguel Castaño Fonseca, bishop of Atlacomulco, offered condolences to the victims and their relatives. “We unite in prayer” for those killed, their families and the injured, he said.

Higinio Martínez, president of the Mexican Senate, expressed his “solidarity and deepest condolences” to bereaved families. He also offered assistance to Temascalcingo Mayor Verónica Moreno Martínez.

For Santa María Canchesdá, the investigation will determine more than the immediate cause. It must also establish who controlled the fireworks, whether the storage site had approval and whether safety requirements were enforced before hundreds of people gathered nearby.

Until prosecutors release those findings, the confirmed picture is stark enough: 10 people, including two children, were killed during a religious celebration, 81 were injured and a community now faces questions that should have been settled before the first firework was prepared.