No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveGuatemalan Market Fire Leaves 18 Dead

Guatemalan Market Fire Leaves 18 Dead

GUATEMALA CITY – The death toll has risen to 18 in a fire at one of this capital’s main markets, a blaze that also left sizable economic damage, officials said.

Many of the victims’ bodies were at least partially burned in the fire near the Terminal Market Nov. 20, among them were nine women, seven men and two children, emergency services said.

The huge blaze began at a fireworks shop in the part of the capital known as El Granero.

Officials believe that the tragedy could have been caused when a firework known as a “whistler” ignited.

Witnesses told local radio stations on Monday that the blaze broke out when someone dropped a lighted cigarette at the fireworks kiosk.

Strong winds besetting the capital contributed to spreading the flames, which ultimately consumed at least 50 shops in the area, most of them fireworks kiosks.

Emergency workers said the high number of fatalities was due to the fact that shop owners were trapped inside their businesses by the quickly spreading flames as they tried to salvage some of their merchandise.

The spokesman for the municipal fire department, Ricardo Lemus, said that the market is home to numerous fireworks shops that often ignore safety regulations.

The Guatemalan market fire was the third major fireworks-related explosion in Central America in the last two weeks.

Fireworks accidents last month claimed more than 30 lives in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala.

 

Trending Now

Honduras Seizes $2 Million, Gold-Plated Pistols in Drug Raid

Honduran authorities struck a blow against drug cartels, seizing over $2 million in cash, war rifles, and flashy gold-plated pistols in Copán, a northwest...

Celso Gamboa Allegedly Ran Drug Ring with Costa Rican Government Ties

Celso Gamboa, once Costa Rica’s Security Minister and a Supreme Court judge, now faces extradition to the U.S. for leading a major cocaine trafficking...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...

Why Costa Rica Feels Like a Safe Haven for This Longtime Expat

If someone asked me to sum up why I live in Costa Rica in 5 words or less, my answer could well be: “It...

Prisma Dental in Costa Rica Keeps Customers Happy and Smiling

I am 81 years old and have had teeth removed, bridges, and cavities fixed several times to sustain my ability to eat and function....
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica