Bishop calls for week of prayer for victims of fireworks explosion in Mexico

Bishop José de Jesús González Hernández of the Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa in the Mexican state of Guerrero called for a week of prayer for the victims of a fireworks explosion that occurred during the patronal festival for the municipality of Cocula.

The accident took place on the night of July 25 while residents were celebrating the feast of St. James the Apostle in front of the Our Lady of Guadalupe parish church. A video circulating on social media shows the moment of the explosion.

Tweet According to the media outlet El Horizonte, the explosion killed three women, including a young woman who was eight months pregnant. Some victims suffered severe burns, including minors who required specialized care.

Speaking to the media on July 26, Francisco Rodríguez Cisneros, Guerrero state’s undersecretary for political and social development, explained that the incident occurred because those responsible for the fireworks display “failed to keep them at a safe distance from where they were being used.”

According to the official, a rocket was propelled toward the area where the fireworks were stored, triggering the explosion. Rodríguez reported that as of Sunday, July 26,…