At least 29 people were killed, and 70 others wounded in an explosion in a fireworks market near Mexico City.

The blast hit the San Pablito fireworks market in Tultepec suburb, and firefighters managed to extinguish the blast within three hours, as army troops helped in rescue operations and evacuation of the wounded to hospitals.

According to the BBC News website, some children suffered burns to more than 90 percent of their bodies and they were being sent to the US city of Galveston, Texas, for specialised treatment. The cause of the explosion is yet unknown.