MEXICO CITY 

The death toll from the explosion in early September of a tanker truck carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Mexico City has risen to 28, authorities announced Sunday.

City officials confirmed the death of a 36-year-old victim who suffered severe burns after the truck, which was carrying 49,500 liters of LPG, exploded on a major avenue in the capital.

The accident occurred on Sept. 10 on the La Concordia Bridge -- a heavily trafficked highway connecting Mexico City to surrounding states.

Mexico’s public health system said that three people remain hospitalized in critical condition.

Among the survivors is a two-year-old girl who lived through the explosion thanks to the actions of her grandmother, Alicia Matías Teodoro, who shielded the child with her body. Matías Teodoro died on Sept. 14 from burns covering 90% of her body. Her granddaughter, Jazlyn Azulet, is reportedly in stable condition and is receiving treatment at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas in the US.

The companies involved -- Grupo Tomza, the gas provider, and Transportadora Silza, the truck’s operator -- have not yet provided any financial compensation to victims or their families.

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) and the Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment (ASEA) reported that the trucking company lacked insurance coverage and did not hold the required environmental liability policy.

Grupo Tomza, which was fined in 2022 along with other companies for monopolistic practices, continues to hold multimillion-peso contracts with the Mexican government. But victims and their families report that they have received no assistance with medical expenses.

On Sept. 19, Norma Alicia Rosas, director general of the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions (AMIS), said the authorities are responsible for determining liability and that each case will be addressed individually.

So far, both companies involved and Mexico City authorities have claimed that the explosion was caused by the truck’s driver, who was allegedly speeding at the time of the incident.

However, multiple media outlets and social media users have pointed to the poor condition of the road as a potential contributing factor. The city’s Attorney General’s Office maintains that the explosion occurred after the truck collided with a concrete barrier, triggering the blast.

The truck driver, Fernando Soto Munguía, died on Sept. 16 at a Mexico City hospital from the severe burns he sustained in the accident.