Saturday June 6, 2009, 5:10 am
I read elsewhere that the fire started at some car and tire depot and that it spread to the ABC day care center..Where were the adults and caretakers..How could it have spread to the day care center without anyone noticing it..And why weren't the children safe guarded immediately and removed from the center..

How horribly tragic..I hope it is investigated..Something is wrong here..
Thanks Bill..
How awful and sad for all those children now gone..

Saturday June 6, 2009, 5:11 am
Noted. Heartbreaking.

Saturday June 6, 2009, 5:30 am
I too had to ask myself what happened Dee regarding adult supervision. The only way I could see was if staff were not awake, which is very possible. The facility was one story which should have been an asset for a speedy evacuation if there were staff to do it. The dead kids ranged from 1 to 5 years old so many would have had to be carried out.

Horrific for all and there are 100 seriously injured.

The Shriners have stepped up to the plate and offered free care that will start today in Sacramento.

Sad for all and yes there needs to be a serious independent as well as internal investigation as the daycare was run by the Mexican Government.

Saturday June 6, 2009, 5:41 am
For the smoke to be so bad as it stated in the article..were there no smoke alarms..detectors of any kind..Even if they were sleeping..whereas it is a "day care" that in itself is wrong..I am very curious to see an update on this story..It is heartbreaking all of those children gone and those burnt or sick from the smoke..
What a shame..

Saturday June 6, 2009, 5:45 am
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124426558420291247.html

"MEXICO CITY – Flames engulfed a day care center in northern Mexico on Friday, killing at least 29 children and injuring dozens as neighbors and teachers ran through thick, black smoke to pull preschoolers from the blaze, officials said.

The fire may have started at a tire and car warehouse Friday afternoon and spread to the neighboring ABC day care center in the city of Hermosillo, said Jose Larrinaga, a spokesman for Sonora state investigators. But Mr. Larrinaga added that the cause of the fire and exactly where it started were still under investigation.

The fire was controlled within two hours and most children died of asphyxiation, he said.
Guadalupe Ayala, coordinator of Red Cross rescue workers, said there were about 100 children in the day care at the time. Their ages ranged from six months to five years.

"Firefighters had to knock holes in the walls to get the children," he said.

Sonora Gov. Eduardo Bours said five day care workers and 26 children were hospitalized, according to the government news agency Notimex.

Neighbors rushed to the burning day care to rescue children as teachers ran screaming through black smoke.

President Felipe Calderon said in a statement that the Mexican Social Security Institute, which outsourced services to the ABC day care center, has sent 15 doctors with experience treating burn victims to Hermosillo, along with three air ambulances, breathing devices and medicine.

Mr. Calderon said he has also ordered Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora to start an investigation.

Most of the city's police and public safety chiefs were at a meeting with U.S. counterparts in Tucson when they were notified of the fire and returned immediately, Mr. Larrinaga said."

Saturday June 6, 2009, 5:46 am
Sounds like a very poorly run day care..How sad for all..

Saturday June 6, 2009, 6:04 am
I hope they give the staff/child ratios.

I know in NC for children 12 months and under the ratio is 1 staff for every 5 children max and the ratio increases as the age does, for example from age 1 to 2 the ratio is 1 staff for 6 children and at 3 yrs old it goes to 1 staff for 10 children.

In Mexico President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa has created a Social Program named "Programa de Estancias Infantiles" and it opened 8,000 daycare slots for children aged 1 to a little over 3 to help single parents.

This is the government run program: www.sedesol.gob.mx

Saturday June 6, 2009, 8:49 am
Death toll is rising, it is now 31.

Saturday June 6, 2009, 3:20 pm
What a horrible, horrible tragedy. Definately sounds like there were to many children and not enough staff to get them out. The article said 176 children, ranging from 6 months to 5 years old. So very, very sad. If you hear an update on this story, please let us know. Thank you Bill.

Sunday June 7, 2009, 1:59 am
Sadly Noted. Thanks

Sunday June 7, 2009, 6:07 am
Sadly as the death toll rises now 38 with 14 critical the numbers of staff to child have been released. On the National news it said there were 140 children and 6 staff in the building.

That is unaccebtable to any standard of care of children under 5 yrs old, at a bare minimum there should have been 20 staff. How the Mexican government feels it is OK for 1 person to provide care and safety for 22 children, when 50% of those children are in diapers, can't walk or under 3 is beyond me.

American law requires fire drills, how in the world did anyone expect 6 adults to carry or direct 140 little ones to saftey in a fire.

Makes no sense.

Sunday June 7, 2009, 4:28 pm
SO SAD FOR ALL.
TX BILL

Sunday June 7, 2009, 9:46 pm
Sadly noted.This is just horrible,so horrible and sad.Just can't see the logic and sense in it at all.

Sunday June 7, 2009, 9:54 pm
Sadly noted Dearest Bill:(
Love,
Black Dalia:(

Monday June 8, 2009, 6:41 am
Noted and saw it on the news. Very sad for the parents.

Monday June 8, 2009, 8:25 am
The news gets worse and worse, the death toll is now 43 and is expected to rise. Firemen have said the building was using a very flamable foam type insulation, why is likely something that will have to be investigated.

That type foam is not allowed under USA code if it is near any heat or electric source. I am not versed in Mexicos buling code laws but this was a government run facility.

I am still in shock over the numbers of staff to care for 140 children.

Tuesday June 9, 2009, 2:54 am
Even more shocking and disturbing that this was run by the government..Doesn't speak very well of them at all..
Those poor children and the parents and family of them..such a sad and neglectful loss..

Tuesday June 9, 2009, 6:20 am
I hope I don't come off as being hard-hearted. I have been to Mexico an number of times visiting people that live there...not just a tourist. The people of Mexico love their children greatly, and a child's birthday is a major event with family and friends no matter how poor. Huge party for the child. Any event in the child's life gives them much joy. But I think we are forgetting that this is a 3rd world country with major problems. They don't have zoning, laws and rules that we have in the US for the most part. They try but it wasn't enough in this case. I am sure after this horrible event involving their treasured children, it will change things in some ways, maybe even in a great way.
I have seen where there are open cess pools next to schools. Raw sewage flowing directly into the ocean, killing wildlife. Garbage by the ton tossed over a cliff. They do not have the standards we have set for ourselves in the US. These things I have seen right outside of tourist areas and very close to the CA border. I could go on but you get my point. Does this make these people bad..NO..it's how they have lived always. Things are changing slowing but when you have the amount of poverty within a poor country they do what they need to survive. I believe the daycare was something they welcomed and the government thought they were doing a good thing. As bad as it turned out. I can only pray for the lost souls and the families they left behind. And think about how many times we have stamped our feet and cried foul about them coming into the US to get away from what we see as not a way to live. I don't like we have so many illegals in the US but understand why they have come( I'm not talking about the drug dealers). I hope that issue can be worked out somehow to everyones benefit. Some are leaving and going back to Mexico because they have lost jobs here. Poor people struggling, it's heartbreaking. And this fire is a direct result of that poverty, IMO.