Smoke from a fire rises from a shoe warehouse near Zocalo in Mexico City, Mexico, November 16, 2023. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
MEXICO CITY — A large fire in central Mexico on Thursday afternoon sent a giant black cloud of smoke into the sky, and authorities confirmed that the blaze was 90% contained by late evening.
Flames were visible from several kilometers (miles) away several hours after the plume of smoke began to rise.
Local media reported that the fire broke out in a shoe warehouse near the historic center of the city, in the Tepito district.
Mexico City’s civil protection authorities said on social media platform X that there were no immediate reports of casualties and that hundreds of people had been evacuated.
City firefighters reported on social media that the fire was 90% extinguished by 9:30 p.m. local time (0330 GMT on Friday).
