Puerto Aventuras, Q.R. — Police seized 300 kilos of gel explosives from the inside of a Puerto Aventuras apartment. Police arrived at the home on Chicozapote Street around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday after a barrel of it was found by the homeowner.
The homeowner arrived to clear out possessions when she made the discovery. A blue 200-liter plastic barrel was found filled with the explosives. The explosive material was being stored inside the unit by its former occupant, a Maya Train worker.
More than two dozen nearby homes were evacuated while police dealt with the explosives. Inside the barrel were also detonators and cables.
“Personnel from the Secretariat of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention and Firefighters, evacuated two residential buildings due to the possible presence of explosive materials located inside a house in the Puerto Maya subdivision. These actions were carried out in coordination with authorities from the three levels of government, and the area was also cordoned off for the corresponding investigations,” Solidaridad Protección Civil said in a statement.
The Secretariat of Civil Protection, Risk Prevention and Firefighters issued a “red code” while emergency services removed the barrel’s contents. The situation led to the intervention of elements of the municipal police, the Mexican Army and the National Guard, who evacuated the area to avoid injuries.
The area was under guard for several hours while the corresponding maneuvers were carried out to move the gel explosives. In the end, 25 families were evacuated during the securing, removal and safekeeping of the material.
According to available information, the explosive material was left in the custody of a Maya Train worker who died a week ago. Police have not commented on how or why the former tenant was storing explosives inside the apartment.
