At least 29 children have been killed in a fire that swept through a daycare centre in north-western Mexico, officials say.
Pastor Dale Morgan
At least 29 children have been killed in a fire that swept through a
daycare centre in north-western Mexico, officials say.*
They say the fire broke out at the centre in the city of Hermosillo in
Sonora state.
A number of children were taken to hospital with burns and smoke
inhalation. Officials warn that the final death toll may rise.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Local media say it spread so rapidly that some children could not be
taken out of the centre.
Dozens of ambulances are surrounding the area with thick smoke in the
air, the BBC's Steve Gibbs in Mexico says.
The fire seems to have started in a large tyre depot next door to the
care centre, our correspondent says.
He adds that Mexican commentators are already asking why the daycare
centre was situated next to the depot.
At least 176 children are reported to have been at the state-run centre
when the fire began.
The children's age reportedly ranged from six months to five years.