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Mix of gases from nearby swamp believed to be cause of blast that killed five Canadian tourists and two Mexican employees
A suspected gas explosion at a large hotel on Mexico's Caribbean coast yesterday killed seven people and injured 12 others, authorities said last night.
Five Canadian tourists and two Mexican employees of the 676-room Grand Riviera Princess hotel in Playa del Carmen were killed in the blast, said Francisco Alor, attorney general of Quintana Roo.
Early investigations suggested the explosion was caused by a mix of gases from a nearby swamp, which had built up beneath one of the dozen or so buildings which make up the hotel.
"Everyone said their hotel room shook. The glass at neighbouring restaurants all cracked and blew out. The tiki hut that was in the area, that was on fire," said James Gaade, from St Catharines, Ontario, who was walking on the beach when he heard a loud explosion and saw smoke coming from the resort's premium platinum lounge.
Two Canadians suffered severe injuries and were in critical condition last night, while 10 others, including two US citizens and eight Mexicans suffered less serious wounds and were described as stable.
The resort was hosting a large number of Canadians, including at least one wedding and a company vacation. Gaade estimated that 50-70% of the guests at the resort were Canadians.
Alor said the force of the explosion creating a metre-deep crater, blowing out windows and sending fragments of ceiling over a 50 metre area.
"The report suggests an accumulation of gases produced by decomposing organic material in the subsoil, and this gas produced the explosion," he added.
"Expert examiners and civil defence personnel will have to determine if the underground space filled with swampy water that remained in this zone when the building was constructed four years ago, could have generated this type of gases."
Playa del Carmen civil defence director Jesus Puc said the male Canadian fatalities included a nine-year-old boy, a 51-year-old man and two other men between 25 and 30 years old. No further information was available on the rest of the victims.
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