By Nancy Caouette
MEXICO CITY
A deadly nursing home fire that has so far killed 17 people may have been intentionally set, the mayor of Mexicali said Wednesday.
“Investigators presume that the fire may have been provoked by someone because there is no evidence that something, like an electric box, could have set the fire,” Mayor Jamie Diaz Ochoa said in an interview with Mexican television ststion Televisa.
Forty-four elderly residents were inside the building when the fire began Tuesday morning. Along with the 17 fatalities, 3 others were critically injured.
The Hermoso Atardecer shelter located in the state of Baja California has been administrated for 10 years by a non-profit organization that receives public funds.
“There was an internal fight for the administration of the civil organization,” said Diaz Ochoa, adding that the case is being investigated by the state’s attorney office.
He also said the shelter is equipped with security cameras that could provide more information.
The remaining occupants were temporarily transferred in another shelter in the city.
