A disastrous sequence of explosions at a fireworks market near Mexico City is now known to have killed more than 30 people.<br /><br /> Scores more were injured – including over a dozen children with severe burns – at the San Pablito market in Tultepec, about 30 kilometres north of the capital.<br /><br /> Within minutes some 80 percent of the market had been destroyed.<br /><br /> “We were in the area of the bathrooms when there was an explosion at a shop at the end of the row, and then a series of blasts came one after the other, and people started to fall down a lot,” said Federico Juarez, an eyewitness. <br /><br /> “They started running and then many people were falling over. And pieces of concrete and brick started falling all over the street.”<br /><br /> It’s not yet known what caused the fireworks to ignite.<br /><br /> However this is the third time in just over a decade that explosions have struck the site. In September 2005 there was another blast just before independence day celebrations, which caused many injuries.<br /><br /> The latest disaster happened in the run-up to the busy Christmas holiday. Fireworks are popular in Mexican celebrations.<br /><br /> The local head of emergency services has said poor safety standards were the likely cause of the blasts.<br /><br /> Police have sent a forensic team to investigate and the federal attorney general’s office has opened an investigation.<br /><br /> Strong #AFP picture of Mexico fireworks blast which left at least 31 dead and 70 hurt near #MexicoCity pic.twitter.com/NqTwtYaF0Z— AFPMexico (@AFPMexico) December 21, 2016<br />
