Seven killed, including five Canadians, in Mexico hotel blast

Seven killed, including five Canadians, in Mexico hotel blast

2010-11-15 11:10:02 GMT+7 (ICT)

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- At least seven people, including five Canadians, were killed on Sunday in an apparent natural gas explosion at a hotel in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, authorities said.

Francisco Alor, attorney general of Quintana Roo state, said the blast occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time at the Grand Riviera Princess Hotel in the Mayan Riviera, and killed five Canadians -a woman, a nine-year-old boy, a 51-year-old man and two other men between 25 and 30 years of age-, and two Mexican workers.

Seven other Canadians, two Americans and eight Mexican employees of the 676-room hotel were also injured. Two of the Canadians injured are listed in critical condition.

Local authorities said naturally gas from a nearby swamp had built up under the hotel lobby's floor and somehow ignited.

According to CBC, relatives identified the woman as Darlene Ferguson, 52, who was in Mexico for her son's wedding. "It's really sad. The family's really, really shook up," Hoffman told the TV network.

Consular authorities from the U.S. and Canada are on the scene.

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