Thaindian News

By Gina Gomez
Cancun, Nov 15, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A lavish resort in Playa del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of Mexico was witness to a major explosion on Sunday which resulted in the death of seven persons and left as many as seventeen injured. The Grand Riviera Princess hotel which is located near the major Mexican resort city of Cancun was cordoned off after the explosion which is suspected to have sparked in the kitchen of the hotel where a gas tank exploded. However, other reports have suggested that the blast was triggered due to a natural gas explosion beneath the building.

Francisco Alor Quezada, the state attorney of Quintana Roo has confirmed to the media that the explosion has claimed seven lives which includes five Canadian nationals and two Mexicans who worked at the hotel. He also added that all the Canadians who lost their lives in the blast were tourists while one of the Mexicans was a tour guide while the other one was security chief of Grand Riviera Princess hotel. The Quintana Roo state attorney also went on to say that the death toll due to the explosion mounted after one of the injured who was in a critical condition succumbed to his injuries.

Although some of the reports suggested that the blast was caused by a gas tank explosion in the hotel kitchen, Francisco Alor Quezada revealed that decomposing organic waste under the hotel lobby is being presumed to have resulted in the gas build up. However, the officials cause of the explosion is still being probed, authorities have said.