At least 23 people were killed and 11 others injured after a massive fire broke out at a discount store in northwestern Mexico, authorities said on Sunday.

The blaze ripped through a branch of Waldo’s—a popular dollar-format retail chain—on Saturday in Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora state.

The explosion that occurred in the Waldo’s store in central Hermosillo has left profound sadness among all Sonorenses,” said Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo during a video briefing shared on social media.

At the moment, there are 23 people dead and 11 injured who are being treated in different hospitals in the city. Unfortunately, there are children among the victims,” he added.

Durazo said an “exhaustive and transparent investigation” has been ordered to determine the cause of the fire and identify those responsible. “We will do so with seriousness, with truth, and with justice,” he said.

According to Gustavo Salas, the state’s attorney general, most of the victims appeared to have died from inhalation of toxic gases.

My heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on X, adding that support teams had been dispatched to assist victims’ families and the injured.

The Sonora Red Cross said about 40 staff members and 10 ambulances joined the rescue operation, making multiple hospital trips.

City officials clarified that the store was not the target of any attack.