Mexico Investigates Deadly Fire At Migrant Centre

Monday’s blaze is now being investigated as a possible homicide.

Five of the suspects are reported to be security guards at the facility in Ciudad Juarez, a city on the US border.

“Authorities face mounting pressure to explain why the victims, who came from Central and Southern America, were not freed when the fire broke out.”

attempting to open the door while several guards move around outside before leaving as the flames engulf the room.

The footage has been widely shared on Twitter and published by a number of Mexican newspapers, with many people expressing shock at what they say was a failure by the guards to act.

Asked about that footage, Mr López Obrador – who has a very fractious relationship with the media – accused journalists of being more interested in ‘sensationalism’ than the pain of the trapped migrants.

Mexican officials say “a total of 68 men were in the facility at the time of the blaze. The majority were from Guatemala, with the others from Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela.”

Authorities have released their names, but have not yet clarified which of them are dead and which have survived. Twenty-eight of them are reported to be seriously injured.

The fire comes at a time when Mexico is struggling to deal with an influx of migrants, most of whom are crossing the country in the hope of reaching the US.

BBC/ Shakirat Sadiq