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VICE News

Explosion at Mexican Fireworks Market Kills at Least Thirty-One

"Everything was catching fire."

The death toll from an explosion at a fireworks market on Tuesday has reached 31, with that figure likely to rise as more than 50 people are still missing and dozens more are in a critical condition in hospital.

Here's what you need to know:

What happened?

The blast ripped through the popular San Pablito fireworks market in the city of Tutepec, about 25 miles north of Mexico City, on Tuesday. A plume of grey smoke coming from the site was visible for miles, while pyrotechnics were seen exploding in the sky above the market. More than 300 stalls made up the market, 80 percent of which were levelled in the blast.

"Everything was catching fire. Everything was exploding," Crescencia Francisco Garcia, who witnessed the events, told the Guardian. "The stones were flying, pieces of brick, everything was flying."

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