Mexico Fireworks Blast Leaves at Least 29 Dead

[Winston]

Mexico Fireworks Blast Leaves at Least 29 Dead
Mexican officials say more than 70 injured in third fireworks explosion at market in 11 years

TULTEPEC, Mexico—Powerful blasts ripped through a sprawling fireworks market outside Mexico City on Tuesday, killing at least 29 people and injuring scores more, the third time in 11 years that the market has been destroyed by such explosions.

Mexico State Gov. Eruviel Ávila said 26 people died at the scene, three others died later in hospitals and more than 70 were injured in the midafternoon explosion, which tore through hundreds of small stalls selling artisanal fireworks in the San Pablito market in the city of Tultepec, just north of the Mexican capital.

[video=youtube;Y6V5MmQMhD4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6V5MmQMhD4[/video]

 

[RocketFeller]

I have been to a number of Mexican fireworks displays. It is amazing that people don't die more often - they launch huge homemade shells out of mortars right in the middle of packed crowds of people.

 

[The_Lone_Beagle]

My prayers go out to all those people.

I have been to a number of Mexican fireworks displays. It is amazing that people don't die more often - they launch huge homemade shells out of mortars right in the middle of packed crowds of people.

Bad outcomes are (fortunately) very rare...the unfortunate aspect of that rarity is that it can reinforce bad practices and habits. It takes a tremendous amount of work (both physical and brain-wise) to instill a safety culture.

My personal belief is that the aviation industry and NASA have done a lot to promote safety, which in turn has "trickled down" to a lot of other industries. But, unless you are a rocket scientist or engineer, a lot of that stuff can seem alien or unnecessary.

If you want to read a good book, "The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande. This article below is pretty much a summary...the interesting bit is how "commonsense" can be resisted by people who think they know better (in this case, surgeons, who are some of the most highly educated people we have!)

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/12/10/the-checklist

 

[rcktnut]

Can't believe something like that happening. It's always safety first with their fireworks.


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...A392B5B3D3BF70C11F50A392B5B3D3BF7&FORM=VRDGAR

 

[tmacklin]

Only the laundry man knows for sure who the winner was!

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

Horrible.

I grew up in San Diego and used to go to Tijuana pretty often, and then I travelled quite a bit in Mexico when I was college aged. There were a lot of firetrap mercados with few exits and twisty narrow aisles that seemed like a maze. One time my friends and I wanted to buy some fireworks but were told it was illegal to sell them in the Mercado. Eventually we found one guy who took us through a tiny door under the stairs into a room packed full of homemade fireworks. It's not too surprising disasters happen. Most of the unsafe conditions and risky behavior is tied to poverty. Corners are cut to save a buck, and people do risky work because there are few choices.

 

[Winston]

Horrible.

I grew up in San Diego and used to go to Tijuana pretty often, and then I travelled quite a bit in Mexico when I was college aged. There were a lot of firetrap mercados with few exits and twisty narrow aisles that seemed like a maze. One time my friends and I wanted to buy some fireworks but were told it was illegal to sell them in the Mercado. Eventually we found one guy who took us through a tiny door under the stairs into a room packed full of homemade fireworks. It's not too surprising disasters happen. Most of the unsafe conditions and risky behavior is tied to poverty. Corners are cut to save a buck, and people do risky work because there are few choices.

Mexico Approves an Increase to the Daily Minimum Wage for 2016

https://www.littler.com/publication...ico-approves-increase-daily-minimum-wage-2016

"The wage increase will raise the general minimum wage from $70.10 Mexican pesos per day (currently, approximately $4.08 USD) to $73.04 Mexican pesos per day (currently, approximately $4.25 USD)."

Yep, that's poverty.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

When things like this happens, it makes it seam our rules, regs & laws maybe are not over the top.

 

[Winston]

My prayers go out to all those people.



Bad outcomes are (fortunately) very rare...the unfortunate aspect of that rarity is that it can reinforce bad practices and habits. It takes a tremendous amount of work (both physical and brain-wise) to instill a safety culture.

My personal belief is that the aviation industry and NASA have done a lot to promote safety, which in turn has "trickled down" to a lot of other industries. But, unless you are a rocket scientist or engineer, a lot of that stuff can seem alien or unnecessary.

If you want to read a good book, "The Checklist Manifesto" by Atul Gawande. This article below is pretty much a summary...the interesting bit is how "commonsense" can be resisted by people who think they know better (in this case, surgeons, who are some of the most highly educated people we have!)

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/12/10/the-checklist

IMO, there's one hell of a lot of overboard regs in the US (like, for instance, the official fear of properly packaged rocket igniters in the mail), but there's the other side, too, like regs (if any) in places like Mexico and China being ignored and not enforced which can then lead to huge, deadly explosions. I know for a fact that there were regs in China that would have prevented their huge port storage area explosion which were being ignored. I don't know if Mexico has many/any pyrotechnic safety regs to be ignored.

 

[Winston]

When things like this happens, it makes it seam our rules, regs & laws maybe are not over the top.

Some definitely are, IMO, but that's better than not enough because common sense isn't very common.

 

[Woody's Workshop]

They probably set the R,R & L's high knowing some people will cheat.
People always cheat. So cheating a little on a higher set R,R & L they are more or less really following what they really want.
Like Ebay. Lately, there have been lots and lots, some HUGE lots of BP motors for sale.
I'm betting Ebay isn't watching, cuz they are selling.
I'm also betting them that are selling them, are shipping them illegally as well.
If the laws were more laxed, the next thing ya know, some 12 year old kid, using his dad's ebay account is buying HP motors,
and they would be getting shipped.
At least this way, the one's being shipped illegally are not much of a threat.

 

[bobkrech]

Can't believe something like that happening. It's always safety first with their fireworks.


https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...A392B5B3D3BF70C11F50A392B5B3D3BF7&FORM=VRDGAR

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction........

Simply proof of Newton's 3rd......

 

[Peter Olivola]

Getting into Darwin Award territory.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction........

Simply proof of Newton's 3rd......