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Mexico: at least eleven dead after arson attack on bar in San Luis Río Colorado

The Beer House Cantina went up in flames after a man who had been ejected threw a Molotov cocktail at the door of the establishment.

Rosana Rábago Sainz
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Rosana Rábago Sainz

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2 minutes read

A man's ejection from a bar in northern Mexico ended in tragedy when he set fire to the establishment, killing at least eleven people. It all started Saturday night at the Beer House Cantina located in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico. According to the authorities, a young male who was heavily intoxicated, was expelled after being disrespectful to some of the women who were on the premises.

Social media users share the moment when the fire started inside the Beer House Cantina, located in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, where at least 11 people were burned to death.
Eleven people died and four more were injured after an arson attack at the "Beer House Cantina" bar in San Luis Río Colorado, Son. Expelled subject threw a Molotov cocktail bomb.

According to a statement issued by Sonora prosecutors, after being thrown out of the bar, the enraged young man returned to the establishment and threw a Molotov cocktail of some kind, causing a huge fire that killed at least seven men and four women:

The Attorney General's Office of Sonora is conducting the pertinent investigations in the identification and capture of a subject who intentionally set a fire in a bar in the Comercial neighborhood of San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, where so far, eleven people have lost their lives. In preliminary information generated, it is detailed that the incident originated at 1:33 am of this July 22, 2023, after a subject, apparently with a high degree of intoxication, threw an object with fire at the doors of the establishment, after being expelled by elements of the same. According to several witnesses, the young, male-looking person was disrespecting the women of the bar, for which reason he was removed from the bar and then returned and threw a Molotov bomb at the doors of the establishment, which caused the fire. So far eleven people are reported dead, seven men and four women, in addition to four injured, who are being treated in hospitals in San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora and in the United States.

Among the eleven deceased are three members of the band Mitosis Versátil: percussionist Adrián Becerra; guitarist Ricardo Martínez; and saxophonist Aarón Hernández. In addition, there are also four people injured with burns of varying degrees.

Fire suspect arrested

As soon as he learned of the event, the mayor of the town, Santos Gónzalez Yescas, said in statements reported by El Universal that he had given orders to the authorities to immediately arrest the suspect who initiated the fire:

From the very moment and at the scene of the tragedy, I gave instructions to the general commissioner of the Municipal Police, Commander Gerardo Camacho Ramirez, to utilize the full force of our Municipal Police and the necessary operational protocols were then activated to find the whereabouts of the alleged perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Hours later, Sonora authorities arrested the alleged perpetrator of the crime. It was the same local councilman who informed the inhabitants, via Twitter, that the suspect of starting the fire was already in the hands of the police:

I would like to inform you that at this moment the alleged perpetrator of the fire at the Beer House was detained by Municipal Police. More information in a few moments.

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