Two dead and more than 20 injured by gas explosion in the Mexican Caribbean

Cancun (Mexico), 14 Mar The explosion of a gas tank at the Kool Beach club in Playa del Carmen on Monday left a preliminary toll of two dead and at least 21 injured, including 4 foreigners, according to authorities from the southeastern state of Quintana Roo. During a press conference held at the scene of the accident, Lilí Campos, municipal president of Solidaridad, said that the bodies of the two deceased persons could not be removed from the scene due to the risk of collapse, but said that they were workers. The injured, he said, were taken to the General Hospital of the Playa del Carmen spa, in the Mexican Caribbean, and others were sent to private hospitals. “We are waiting for the medical report to be delivered to us in order to determine the degree of injury,” he said. Just before starting the press conference with the municipal authorities, elements of the fire brigade managed to rescue a 37-year-old woman, a local worker. Likewise, Lilí Campos clarified that the place is completely independent of Mamita's Beach Club, where the Argentinian manager was murdered a few weeks ago, and so far the preliminary information points to an accumulation of gases that caused the accident. The mayor assured that they will initiate an investigation into the situation of the establishment and noted that the beach club manager was already at the premises of the Attorney General's Office, giving a statement. According to a press release issued by the Secretariat of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention and Solidarity Firefighters, whose owner is César Flores Sánchez, the balance so far stands at two people dead and 21 injured, of whom four are foreigners and 17 are nationals. The rescue of the two fatalities is still in progress due to the risk of the collapse of the building. Several security forces involved in the rescue work arrived at the scene with search dogs. The area is cordoned off by elements of the National Guard Tourist Police, Civil Protection and local security corporations. The explosion occurred shortly after noon on Monday, apparently in the kitchen area of the Kool Beach club, which adjoins the Mamita's club.