Overview
- The November 1 explosion and fire at a downtown Hermosillo Waldo’s killed 23 people and injured 12, with officials citing toxic smoke inhalation as the primary cause of death.
- State authorities ordered a temporary closure of all 68 Waldo’s locations in Sonora to conduct exhaustive reviews of civil protection compliance and store safety.
- Preliminary reports point to a failure in an internal transformer as a possible origin of the fire, though definitive forensic conclusions remain pending.
- Sonora’s FGJE is leading the probe, while state agencies are providing legal, psychological and funeral assistance to affected families.
- Officials noted Waldo’s internal civil protection program in Sonora was authorized in 2019 but received a negative evaluation in 2021, a finding now under review.