Mexico: Arson attack at bar on US border leaves 11 dead

MEXICO, July 23: A man has been arrested in Mexico on suspicion of setting fire to a bar after he was kicked out, killing 11 people, officials say.

The attack happened on Friday night in San Luis Rio Colorado, which borders the United States. The bar sits just one street away from the border.

Authorities say a drunk young man hurled a Molotov cocktail at the Beer House bar after being thrown out.

He had reportedly been harassing women before being ejected.

The mayor of San Luis Rio Colorado tweeted on Saturday afternoon that a suspect had been arrested. He has not yet been named.

The fire killed seven men and four women and left four other people hospitalised, according to a statement from the Sonora state Attorney General's Office. A number of those injured were rushed across the border to hospitals in the United States for treatment.

"According to versions (from) several witnesses, the person with a young, male appearance was disrespecting women in that bar and was expelled," the statement said.

It described the object thrown as "a kind of 'Molotov' cocktail".

Investigations continue to "clarify the facts" and "bring justice," it said, adding that "in Sonora, no one is above the law".

It is unclear if the incident is related to organised crime, which has plagued Mexico for years.

(BBC)