Eight days after a tragic fire at a Waldo's store in downtown Hermosillo, Sonora, left 24 dead and 14 injured, Governor Alfonso Durazo called on Sunday for the intervention of Mexican experts in the investigations to clarify criminal and administrative responsibilities. The governor publicly requested the support of expert analysts from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the Mexican College of Professionals in Risk Management and Civil Protection. In a message posted on his official social media, Durazo stated that there will be comprehensive reparations for the victims and their families, without bureaucratic limitations, in an immediate, humane, sensitive, and permanent manner. "I will not allow the investigation to be politicized; there will be no impunity, but no scapegoats either. There will be exhaustive and rigorous ministerial and administrative investigations," he assured. "We will reach the truth with an investigation without haste, but without pause, that guarantees the victims conclusive information and, at the same time, clarifies the doubts of public opinion," he added. To reinforce the investigation led by the State Attorney General's Office, Durazo said he requested that the rectors of the mentioned institutions "send experts to form a multidisciplinary team" to support the forensic analysis and restore public confidence. Their participation will guarantee that the process is conducted with truth, technical rigor, and absolute transparency until determining the corresponding criminal and administrative responsibilities. The fire is being investigated by authorities, who have found no indication that it was intentionally set. The official report states that the fire broke out around 15:00 local time (21:00 GMT) when the store was full of customers due to the payday and pre-Day of the Dead shopping. One of the lines of investigation cited by the prosecutor in charge, Gustavo Rómulo Salas, is the failure of an electrical transformer inside the store, which he said was disconnected from the public infrastructure of the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE). In a statement, the retail chain corporation, with 68 stores in Sonora and more than 800 in Mexico, said the company has paid for the funeral services of the victims, medical expenses for the survivors, and has begun the process of repairing the damage to the affected families. It also stated that it has fully collaborated with local authorities in the investigations. Following the tragedy, Durazo and Hermosillo Mayor Antonio Aztiazarán announced the dismissal of those responsible for State and Municipal Civil Protection to avoid hindering the investigations. Additionally, the Attorney General said he will open criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings against individuals and officials from the state, municipality, and federation.
