A woman died and a men suffered third-grade burnings all over his body after a fire ended up early Friday with a residence at Colonia Mariano Abasolo neighborhood, said the Municipal Public Safety Department.
Authorities said at 4 a.m. a fire was reported at the residence.
Pedro Ponce Valladolid, 57, was injured during the incident with third-degree burnings and Rosa Adriana Franco De La Cruz, 24, was able to leave the home, authorities said.
The police said the deceased woman was identified as Rosa María De La Cruz Ruiz, 55.
The injured man reported the fire to authorities.
An ambulance and two fire extinguishing machined arrived on scene.
The fire was reported as a total loss, authorities said.
Fire destroys state warehouse
A fire destroyed Thursday a warehouse owned by the state Secretary of Health in southern Mexicali, said the Municipal Public Safety Department.
Authorities said a fire was reported at 1:30 p.m. at Las Californias Industrial Park located at San Luis Highway and A Street at Ex Ejido Coahuila neighborhood.
The police said few people were evacuated from the industrial park as most of those working the morning schedule were already out.
The warehouse was a total loss.
The fire was reported by industrial park coordinator Carlos Zaragoza.
According to media reports, thousands of documents were consumed by flames during the incident.
School funding requested
Assembly members approved a resolution that asks a state official to keep special school funding program ongoing.
The request asks also for a detailed report regarding expenditures of the program for last year and 2016.
Assemblyman José Martínez, a Mexicali member of the New Alliance Party, introduced the resolution that also requests an audit of the so-called Beca Progreso for the last two years.
The program was created several years ago to cover funds charged to parents for registering their children at schools in violation of state and national constitutions.
The lawmaker recalled the program seeks to contribute with resources for operation, maintenance, and improvement at basic education schools.
Martínez said principals and parents have reported that funds from the program have been put on stop.
The resolution asks state Secretary of Education Mario Herrera to make a thorough report regarding the program.
Martínez said Governor Francisco Vega told residents during his Second State of the State speech that Beca Progreso benefits 624,682 students with 384 million pesos or $22.5 million.
Residential clean energy bill introduced
A state lawmaker introduced Thursday a bill that, if enacted, would mandate at least 25 percent of residential buildings and public lighting systems use clean energy sources.
The proposal to modify the state’s Urban Development Law was unveiled by Assemblywoman Mónica Bedoya, a Mexicali member of the National Action Party.
“It is widely known that our state is going through severe pollution issues and Mexicali is not the exception, and I believe it is here where the problem is more grief,” she said. “The issue causes respiratory illnesses that over time it would increase mortality rates, and prevention and cure of these illnesses would cost a lot.”
Several other state assembly members joined in support of the bill.
Bedoya said one of the alternatives to address the issue is the use of green energy.
The bill would impact new developments in the future.
The proposal was turned to the Legislative Metropolitan Development, Infrastructure, Communication, and Transportation Commission.
Over 8.5 million visitors reported
The state Secretary of Tourism reported that during the first four months of the year over 8.5 million have visited Baja California.
Of those, over 7 million were reported on state or federal highways, 1.5 million only at Tijuana Airport and 200,000 more arrived in sea cruisers.
Hotel occupancy rates increased from 38 percent in January to 51 percent in April, the agency said.
The Tijuana airport has seen over 19,000 plane boards while Ensenada has received 106 ships.
“Baja California is living its best touristic moment of the last eight years, which we consider is the result of a coordinated effort between businesses and government,” said Secretary Oscar Escobedo. “This is why we will keep pushing all activities that help us have a closer relationship with the private sector.”
Several events are scheduled statewide for the upcoming months, and the official expects to increase hotel occupancy and tourist expenditure.
Escobedo said the state hopes to have good numbers in terms of tourism during Memorial Day on May 30.
