A Fire Ends 41 Infants' Lives, The Body Count Is Rising

Sonora, Mexico - June 6, 2009 - The fire was surrounding what once used to be a day-care; the screams of agony of around 100 children between the ages of six months and five years could be heard as the owners and workers of said institution, along with neighbors that heard the comossion, tried to evacuate the area.

Approximately 38 children died on the spot due to asphyxiation, rather than skin burns. Around 25 children and workers of the day-care were hospitalized during Friday night.

Authorities are still scrutinizing the causes of this fire, according to Larrinaga Spokesman of the Office of the judge advocate general of the state of Sonora; though some informs show that the explosion started with some gasoline tanks.

The Government of Sonora informed that authorities identified 27 of the bodies out of the 38 that died in the spot.

But this tragedy does not end in here. The morning of June 8, 2009, authorities informed that “the body count has risen to 41 deaths, while the health of 12 infants it’s been reported to be in grave danger.”

Raymundo López Vucovich, Public Health Secretary, informed that the transfer of 10 minors and an adult to the unit of burned of the Medical Center of the West of the IMSS in Guadalajara, Jalisco; seven already receive specialized medical attention. In addition, two minors were transferred to the hospital Shriners de Sacramento, California, in the United States, as well as other two minors in the Medical Center of Social Care of Obregón City, Sonora.

Vucovich also reported that in the last hours four minors and an adult have been registered off of the diverse hospitals of the capital of Sonora.

Further more, the partners of the ABC day-care center lamented the facts and assure that they will collaborate with the investigation. Through a letter sent to the media they indicated that “we assumed like our own the immense pain that the families are going through and that our houses, like yours, are also in mourning and they will be in it all the life. We requested (to the authorities) to respect the families by not closing the file of the case until they manage to know with detail and precision the causes of the tragedy and the names of those who are responsible”, explains the letter.