Papers, boxes, among other debris are pictured on the lawn at the site of an explosion at a hotel in Cancun November 14, 2010. At least six people, including four Canadian tourists and two Mexican workers, were killed in an explosion at a resort on Mexico's Riviera Maya, a Mexican official said, in what authorities described as a gas explosion. Another 15 to 20 people were wounded from the blast at the Grand Riviera Princess hotel in the beach resort of Playa del Carmen on Mexico's Caribbean coast, Francisco Alor, the attorney general for the surrounding Quintana Roo state, told Reuters.Stringer/Reuters/Reuters
A Playa del Carmen hotel near Cancun where seven people – including five Canadians – were killed on Nov. 14 will be partially closed for at least a week so that Mexican investigators can figure out what went wrong at the Grand Riviera Princess.
Early findings in the investigation suggested the cause of the explosion was swamp gases that had somehow been sparked. Now, there is evidence that liquefied petroleum gas and methane may have contributed as well.
"The purpose of the closure is to thoroughly review all the gas hydraulic structures that may have been a cause of the explosion," Quintana Roo Governor Felix Gonzalez Canto said in comments reported by Associated Press.
Conflicting reports about the closing circulated on the weekend. The Associated Press report from Cancun said the governor said about 450 guests were moved to other hotels on Saturday from the 676-room Grand Riviera, and added that a hotel next door to the Grand Riviera had also been shuttered.
However, Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said on Sunday that Canadian consular staff in Mexico were told that Mexican authorities decided to close half the resort.
"It is only the Riviera side of the resort that has been closed," department spokeswoman Laura Markle said in an e-mail on Sunday. "All the guests have received assistance from their travel representatives and have been relocated to another area of the resort, which is considered safe."
Family members affected by the deaths are still reeling.
Malcolm Johnson's family told the Canadian Press that they've been "devastated" ever since the Nanaimo, B.C., man died. Mr. Johnson, 33, had been married just days before the explosion and died on his one-year-old daughter's birthday.
A public celebration of Mr. Johnson's life is set for Monday in Nanaimo, following a private funeral.
"Malcolm truly was a loving husband, a doting father, wonderful brother-in-law, great friend," said brother-in-law Layne Pynten. "He was just a fantastic person."
Mr. Pynten said the support that Mr. Johnson's wife Heather and daughter Audrey have received has been unbelievable.
"It's just unwavering support, this whole community has been behind Heather and Audrey. It's unreal," Mr. Pynten said.
Last week's explosion blew out windows in the hotel's lounge area and left behind a metre-deep crater, littering the lawn with concrete and metal debris and shards of glass.
The other Canadians killed in the blast include Chris Charmont of Drumheller, Alta., and his nine-year-old son, John; Darlene Ferguson, 51, of Edmonton; and Elgin Barron of Guelph, Ont. Reports have said a hotel bartender and a guard were also killed.
With a report from The Canadian Press
David Ebner