Death toll from fireworks-market blast in Mexico climbs to 32

MEXICO CITY - The death toll from Tuesday's explosion at a fireworks market near Mexico City climbed to 32, authorities said on Wednesday.

The blast at the San Pablito Fireworks Market in Tultepec, in the central State of Mexico, destroyed Mexico's biggest market of its kind during the busy holiday season, just days before Christmas.

At a press conference, state government secretary Jose Manzur said the earlier death toll of 26 rose after six of the injured died in the hospital.

Some 46 people remain hospitalized with severe burns and other injuries, and arrangements were being made to fly some of the 13 heavily burnt to a specialized hospital in Galveston, of the Texas state of the United States.

"Of the five patients we hope to send, one of them, Pamela, has burns on 90 percent of her body and they are trying to stabilize her (condition), but a plane is on standby," said Manzur.

Later, the official posted on Twitter that another patient, Juan Carlos, was being flown to the U.S. hospital.

The state authorities have pledged to pay for the related medical treatment and funerals.

Another 12 people are missing in the fireworks explosion. Rescue teams are still combing the rubble while consulting hospitals where they may have been taken for treatment, Manzur said.

The blast nearly destroyed all of the 305 businesses at the market, an area of more than a hectare.

Dozens of military troops and police officers have been stationed around the site since Wednesday, as investigators searched the site.

There have been people coming to look for missing family members.

One of them, Ruben Martinez, said he was searching for his grandmother Eva Baez and his uncle Yazmani Gonzalez, both of whom went out to buy fireworks.