Mexico City, Mexico, Sep 13, 2007 / 08:58 am
On Sunday, in the city of Coahuila, Mexico, 25 tons of ammonium nitrate that were being transported exploded, leaving 28 dead and 250 wounded. Bishop Raul Vera Lopez of Saltillo has responded by calling on the Mexican government to guarantee “the persons responsible for the deaths, mutilations, physical harm and property damage will be punished.”
While visiting victims of the blast in a local hospital, Bishop Vera said the government should also bear some responsibility for the accident because it did not provide the minimum conditions for the safe transport of the explosives.
Mexican officials said the drivers of the truck remain at large. According to local media reports, Orica SA, the company that owned the materials, says it is not responsible for the incident. The company says it has put into place “technical, administrative and human resources” to help officials in their investigation.