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A car filled with fireworks exploded during an illegal religious parade in central Mexico, killing a teenage boy and injuring at least a dozen more, terrifying video captured.
Locals were participating in a procession Thursday in the city of Cuautitlán Izcalli — 21 miles from Mexico City — as part of an annual patron saint festival honoring San Francisco de Asis.
Adults and children are seen celebrating as confetti hovers in the air when the pyrotechnics loaded into the vehicle catch fire, the video shows.
Bystanders then turn toward the vehicle when the blast suddenly goes off.
The person filming is knocked off their feet, while a person is seen sobbing nearby, according to the horrifying video.
Additional firework blasts are also heard in the background as paradegoers frantically scramble for search.
Alejandro González, 15, was killed and 12 people were injured, according to State of Mexico authorities.
González died while doctors were treating his wounds at Lomas Verdes Trauma and Orthopedics Hospital in Naucalpan, according to Mexican newspaper Milenio.
The teenager was laid to rest Friday afternoon.
MÉXICO | Explosión de pirotecnia durante una procesión en San Francisco Tepojaco deja múltiples heridos, entre ellos menores de edad. Indagan a ocupantes de un auto por arrojar cohetes de forma irresponsable. pic.twitter.com/4DycoWBv9V
— Don Arrecho (@donarrechoec) September 25, 2026
One of the wounded victims, Federico Ruiz, was not found until Friday morning when he was discovered wandering around three miles from the explosion site. He was diagnosed with burns in his lower limbs and other parts of the body.
Cuautitlán Izcalli Mayor Daniel Serrano’s administration revealed it never issued a permit for the religious parade to take place.
“The procession held this Thursday was not included in the authorization process currently being handled by the San Francisco Tepojaco delegation for the festivities scheduled to begin on October 2,” the mayor’s office said in a statement.
“In light of this event, we wish to reiterate the importance of providing timely notification to the Municipal Government regarding activities that draw crowds, particularly when the use of pyrotechnics is planned.”
The deadly blast took place almost three weeks after an explosion of pyrotechnical material inside a warehouse killed at least 11 people and injured 81 others in Temascalcingo, a city in State of Mexico.
A 12-year-old girl suffered burns to 50% percent of her body and was transferred to Shriners Children’s Texas in Galveston, Texas for further treatment.
