Puebla, Mexico— A residential gas explosion in a Puebla suburb left two dead and five injured on October 16, 2026, and the blast flattened one house and cracked walls across the block. The explosion happened before 9 a.m. Neighbors felt it a street away.
State Civil Protection said the blast originated in a two-story home in the San Baltazar Campeche area. A faulty LP gas tank and a leak are suspected. The house collapsed inward. Two occupants, a mother and her son, were killed inside. Five neighbors were injured by flying glass and debris.
Firefighters and Red Cross paramedics arrived within 15 minutes. They pulled a man from the rubble alive. Gas was still leaking when they arrived. They shut the valve and evacuated 30 families. The street smelled strongly of gas.
A neighbor told Milenio, "We heard a loud boom, then everything shook. Windows broke. People ran out screaming." Another said they had reported a gas smell two days earlier to the landlord. That claim is being investigated.
Milenio reported that LP gas explosions are frequent in central Mexico, often linked to aging cylinders, illegal connections, and lack of inspection. Puebla has recorded at least six such blasts this year. Regulations exist. Enforcement does not.
A Puebla Civil Protection officer said, "We found a ruptured cylinder and a makeshift connection. We are determining if the installation was certified." He said the injured were taken to Hospital General de Puebla with burns and fractures. One is in critical condition.
The municipal government cordoned off three homes deemed at risk of collapse. Engineers will inspect foundations. Families were taken to a temporary shelter in a community center. They have nowhere to return tonight.
The State Attorney General's Office opened a file for negligent homicide and property damage. The gas distributor will be questioned. Photos show the cylinder's valve melted.
By afternoon, debris removal began. A child's bicycle lay under a sheet. The street remained closed.
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