Mexico Probes Day Care Fire, Death Toll Hits 44

MEXICO CITY (AP) – A Mexican governor vowed Monday to fully investigate a fire at a day care center that killed 44 children and left dozens fighting their lives, assuring the public that no one will be immune to the probe.

The Sonora state health department reported that one child died Sunday from injuries suffered in the blaze at the ABC day care in Hermosillo, and 2-year-old girl died Monday shortly before she was to board a flight to California for treatment.

The deaths brought the total from Friday’s fire to 44.

Dozens more children were being treated for severe burns and smoke inhalation in hospitals in Mexico and the United States

Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours told the Televisa network that authorities called in the center’s owners, employees and others for questioning.

“No one is above the law,” Bours said. “We are going to look for the causes, find those responsible and nothing will stop us. The … children who have died, and their parents deserve at least that.”

Bours said more than 30 adults and children remained hospitalized, 21 in serious condition.

Investigators are combing through documents authorizing the operation of the private day care center, a converted warehouse that was leased by the government to provide low-cost care for 173 children, according to Bours. He said about 50 children left the building before the fire broke out.

The blaze began in an adjacent warehouse storing cars and tires, though fire officials still don’t know what sparked it.

No fire alarm or sprinkler system went off inside the center, according to witnesses. One mother said there was only one exit, while a second door was locked and nobody could find the key.

Bours said fire alarms attached to a false ceiling failed to detect the smoke as it seeped into a space overhead, underneath the center’s roof. After heating up, the ceiling panels collapsed before the alarms could sound.

Rescuers knocked through walls to reach the children. One man rammed his pickup truck against the day care three times.

A May 26 inspection indicated that the day care had fire extinguishers and signs leading to an emergency exit, said Daniel Karam, the director of Mexico’s Social Security Institute, which outsourced services to the privately run center. He said federal authorities would review the inspection.

Ten children were taken to a burn hospital in Guadalajara and three of the most seriously injured children were being treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California.

Dr. Valdemar Corral of the Sonora state health department said doctors, including specialists from Shriners, were preparing a fourth child – a two-year-old girl – to be transported to the California facility but she died early Monday at a hospital in Hermosillo.

He said more than 80 percent of the girl’s body was burned, like the 13 who have been taken to hospitals outside Hermosillo.

Shriners doctors have begun what they say will be months of treatment. A 3-year-old boy who suffered burns over about half his body was doing well Monday after four hours of skin graft surgery, said Dr. David Greenhalgh, chief burn specialist at the Sacramento hospital.

A 3-year-old girl burned over more than 80 percent of her body remained in critical condition, while a 2-year-old boy with burns on 20 percent of his body was in serious condition.

All were expected to undergo a series skin graft operations.

The fire has raised doubts about safety standards at more than 1,500 centers where Mexico’s government provides low-cost care for at least 200,000 children, and officials say all are being re-evaluated.

By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO, Associated Press Writer

Associated Press writers Julie Watson in Mexico City and Juliet Williams in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)