Mexico Battles Puebla Conflagration

20 People Dead, 50 Injured

Firefighters battling inferno amid smoldering ruins

PUEBLA, Mexico – A devastating fire ripped through a nightclub in the central Mexican city of Puebla on Sunday, leaving at least 20 people dead and 50 injured, officials said.

Firefighters battled for hours to control the blaze, which started around 3 a.m. in the Caballo Blanco club, a popular nightspot in a crowded neighborhood. By midday, officials said the fire had been extinguished.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but officials said it may have been caused by an electrical short circuit.

The fire is the deadliest in Mexico in recent years. In 2019, a fire at a nightclub in Mexico City killed 16 people.

Puebla Governor Miguel Barbosa visited the site of the fire on Sunday and expressed his condolences to the victims' families.

"This is a very sad day for Puebla," Barbosa said. "We are doing everything we can to support the victims' families and to investigate the cause of this tragedy."

The Mexican Red Cross has set up a hotline for people seeking information about their loved ones.