Mexico's fireworks-market tragedy death toll reaches 35

The death toll from Tuesday's explosion at a fireworks market in central Mexico rose to 35 on Thursday, as two of those hospitalized succumbed to their injuries.

Among the latest fatal victims was Pamela Romero, 13, who had burns over 90 percent of her body.

Her mother, Ericka Villanueva, 38, was killed in the blast at the San Pablito Fireworks Market in Tultepec, in the central State of Mexico.

Some 36 people remain hospitalized, four in serious condition.

Due to the extent of the injuries, identifying the victims has not been easy, and two bodies remained unidentified, the state's government secretary, Jose Manzur, said in an update to the tragedy that has cast a pall over Christmas celebrations in Mexico.

Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the explosion, but have said they suspect a rocket ignited at one of the market's 300 stalls, sparking a chain reaction that destroyed virtually the entire complex.

source: Xinhua