Fire at Waldo's store in Hermosillo leaves 23 dead and 12 injured

HERMOSILLO, Sonora (apro) – A fire at a business in downtown Hermosillo claimed the lives of 23 people Saturday afternoon. According to preliminary reports from the Mexican Red Cross, the victims include 12 women, 5 men, 4 boys, and 2 girls. The cause of the fire remains unknown, although workers in the area reported an explosion, preceded by a power outage, before the tragedy.

The situation shocked the entire city, so for hours passersby crowded around the security perimeter established by the authorities to stop traffic and collect the bodies of the victims, attend to 12 other injured people on site and transfer 5 more to nearby hospitals.

Forensic experts from the Sonora Attorney General's Office went to the site to determine the origin of the fire, while the State Public Security Secretariat ruled out in a statement that it was an attack against the civilian population.

The working hypothesis is that the event was accidental and the line of investigation concerns a transformer that was located inside the commercial establishment.

Once the Fire Department allows access to the interior of the premises, as they are still removing debris, the structure is inspected and the experts are safely allowed to enter, the causes of the fire can be accurately determined, and if necessary, the line of investigation can be corroborated based on the existing evidence, which is presumed to be the origin of the fire.

The emergency operation lasted for more than 5 hours and also involved the State Coordination of Civil Protection and the State Human Rights Commission, which came to offer support to the victims.

Power was restored to the area around 6:30 p.m., while the cordoned-off area was reduced, freeing up traffic on surrounding streets, after 7:00 p.m.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo expressed her condolences to the families of the deceased and stated, via social media, that she contacted Governor Alfonso Durazo to "offer support in any way needed."

The state governor said his administration “will take all necessary actions to support the affected families and individuals” after what he described as “a sad day for Sonora.” Meanwhile, the cancellation of all public activities related to the Day of the Dead celebrations was announced, including those organized by the Hermosillo City Council.

Patricia Duarte Franco, founder of the Cinco de Junio ​​Movement, which arose after the ABC Daycare fire that claimed the lives of 49 children 16 years ago, called on all authorities to respond promptly and transfer the injured to receive medical attention in the United States to prevent the death toll from rising, as happened then.

“President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Governor Alfonso Durazo, and Mayor Antonio “Toño” Astiazarán: I urge you to urgently begin transferring the children and adolescents to the United States for dignified care. Do not compromise on the health of the victims; if you leave them in our country, the death toll risks rising. We already experienced this 16 years ago; learn from the tragedies that preceded today’s,” the activist said.

Meanwhile, a kilometer away from the business consumed by the flames, a mass was offered at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Hermosillo to pay condolences to the victims of the tragedy.

My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who died in the fire at a store in downtown Hermosillo.

I have been in contact with the governor of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo, to offer my support in any way needed. I instructed the Secretary of… — Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) November 2, 2025