On September 26, 1999, a stockpile of illegally stored fireworks and gunpowder exploded in the Mexican city of

Celaya Celaya (; ) is a city and its surrounding municipality in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, located in the southeast quadrant of the state. It is the third most populous city in the state, with a 2005 census population of 310,413. The municipality ...

, killing 63 people and wounding 348 others. The disaster was caused by the detonation of four tons of fireworks and gunpowder at about 10:30 local time, which triggered several more explosions of either fireworks or nearby gas cylinders. 52 people were initially killed in the explosions, with eleven more later dying in hospitals. 348 people were injured and hospitalized. Following the explosions, Mexican President

Ernesto Zedillo Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (; born 27 December 1951) is a Mexican economist and politician. He was 61st president of Mexico from 1 December 1994 to 30 November 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted 71-year line of Mexican presidents from t ...

announced that the government would conduct an investigation into the disaster. Authorities later arrested five business inspectors accused of illegally issuing permits, an agent of the attorney general's office accused of abuse of authority by failing to report the illegal trade, and seven business owners accused of illegally possessing and selling fireworks. Charges of being accessories to homicide were also brought against the inspectors and one of the business owners

References

{{coord missing, Guanajuato 1999 in Mexico Explosions in 1999 September 1999 events in Mexico Explosions in Mexico Industrial fires and explosions in Mexico Fireworks accidents and incidents Illegal fireworks operations 1999 disasters in Mexico