At least 23 people, including several minors, were killed and 11 others injured after a massive fire broke out at a general store in the northern Mexican city of Hermosillo, capital of Sonora state, CNN reported, citing officials. Local media, citing Mexican Red Cross president Carlos Freaner, reported that the victims included 12 women, five men, four boys, and two girls. 

The blaze erupted at a branch of the Waldo’s discount store chain in downtown Hermosillo. Emergency teams quickly responded, but the intensity of the fire made rescue efforts difficult. Authorities have ruled out arson or deliberate attack as the cause, according to the Sonora Public Security Secretariat, though investigations into the exact cause are ongoing.