Death toll rises to 9 in Mexico ammonia spill, 50 injured

MEXICO CITY – The death toll from an ammonia spill last week in western Mexico has risen to nine, with some children among the dead, officials said Monday.

Israel Patron, police chief in the state of Michoacan, did not specify the ages of the four females and five males killed in the accident, but noted some were minors.

About 50 other people were injured when a 7,925-gallon (30,000 litre) tank trailer broke loose from the truck pulling it and crashed off a highway Friday. The ruptured tank sent a cloud of ammonia gas floating over the road.

Patron said the truck may have been in poor condition.

“The tanker truck already lacked some maintenance,” he said, adding that fatigued and over-worked drivers were also a problem.