Mexico Fireworks Explosion Cause: Terrorism Ruled Out For Deadly Market Blasts In Tultepec [PHOTOS]

The series of explosions that devastated a popular open-air fireworks market in Mexico Tuesday was not being linked to terrorism, officials said. Six separate blasts ripped through the San Pablito market in Tultepec, outside of Mexico City, killing at least 31 and injuring 72.

“Everything was destroyed, it was very ugly and many bodies were thrown all over the place, including a lot of children,” 24-year-old Angelica Avila, whose brother, a fireworks salesman, was inside the market at the time and suffered burns, told Reuters.

Though officials said the explosions were not related to terrorism, the cause of the blasts was not announced. The federal attorney general’s office opened an investigation to find the people responsible. Eruviel Avila, the governor of the State of Mexico, pledged that he would find and punish whoever was responsible, according to Reuters. Isidro Sanchez, the head of Tultepec emergency services, said the blame likely rests on a lack of adequate safety measures. State official Jose Manzur, however, said the market was inspected in November and no violations were found.

It’s not the first time the San Pablito market has been the scene of a deadly accident. A fire swept through the market in 2005 and destroyed hundreds of stalls. A similar blaze devastated San Pablito in 2006.

Eerily beautiful fireworks could be seen detonating in the midst of the explosion in photos and videos taken Tuesday, masking the devastation taking place beneath. The market was particularly crowded that late December afternoon as shoppers geared up for holiday festivities. Tultepec Mayor Armando Portuguez Fuentes confirmed that the market was in “high season” and was packed with more product and customers than at other times of the year.

In addition to the staggering number of deaths and injuries, an estimated 80 percent of the market’s 300 stalls were leveled. Multiple children sustained burns to more than 90 percent of their bodies and were rushed to hospitals in Galveston, Texas, for treatment, Reuters reported. As of early Wednesday, emergency workers remained at the scene. Bystanders and residents were asked to remain at least three miles away to allow rescue workers to continue.