Mexican police have arrested seven people and seized nearly ten tons of illegal fireworks in the wake of a New Year's Eve explosion in Veracruz.
The explosion and fire that destroyed stores and vehicles at the Hidalgo market in the Gulf of Mexico city on Tuesday has officially killed 28 people.
However, authorities warned the death toll could rise since several people remained missing.
Twenty-five people injured in the fire are being treated in area hospitals.
The marketplace is a popular gathering place on the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
Veracruz authorities, police and other municipal services are blaming each other for the lack of monitoring of the illegal sale of fireworks in the city.
AFP
