Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Charges over fatal nursery fire in Mexico

Updated at 10:27 am on 23 June 2009

Prosecutors in Mexico have arrested seven regional officials over the deaths of 47 children in a fire at a day-care centre on 5 June.

The attorney general of northern Sonora state said officials from the state's finance department, were being charged with negligent homicide.

The department was in charge of the operations at a warehouse next to the nursery, where the fire started.

No fire alarms or extinguishers were found in the warehouse which was used to store cars, tyres and paperwork for the state.

Investigators said the fire may have been caused by a short circuit or overheating in the warehouse air conditioning system. The blaze spread to the roof of the day care centre.

Thirty children died on the day of the fire in Hermosillo and many more were badly injured.

The 47th victim, a three-year-old girl with burns on 65% of her body, died on Sunday.

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