30,000 Left Jobless in the Wake of Mexico Fireworks Explosion

Mexico City, December 24 (RHC)-- More than 30,000 people lost their job and their only source of income following the deadly explosion at a fireworks market in Tultepec, State of Mexico, which has left at least 33 people dead and dozens injured, according to local authorities.

Tultepec, about 25 miles from Mexico City, is known for its pyrotechnics industry, with nearly 20 percent of its 151,000 residents having some connection to pyrotechnics production.

Every year, the town holds a weeklong festival with fireworks competitions among producers. The "Cueteros” as they are known have huge production workshops where they handle gunpowder and other high-risk chemicals. Permits for these places are granted by the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense.

Due to the high risk of the materials, production is 100 percent handmade. No machinery can be used and electricity is also prohibited at the workshops. It is a tradition that dates back more than 150 years. The town produces 90 percent of the pyrotechnics used throughout Mexico.

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