Mexican blast shocks Winnipegger

A Winnipeg couple left a Mexican resort just hours before it exploded on Sunday, killing seven people.

Wendy Konrad was at the Grand Princess Riviera Hotel with her husband and friends last week, leaving on Saturday.

Her room was in a building immediately next tothe main lobby area, where the explosion happened.

"That's right where it exploded. That's where we [would] walk right through and we swam in that area," she said.

Konrad saidthe resort was immaculate and is stunned by images of the devastation.

"It was a shocker and very sad," she said.

The resort had more Canadian tourists than tourists of any other nationality, she said, adding she is waiting to hear if anyone she met there was hurt.

Five Canadian tourists and two Mexican workers were killed in the blast at the 676-room hotel in the Mayan Riviera, said Francisco Alor, attorney general of Quintana Roo state.

Local officials said the Canadian dead include a woman and four males: a nine-year-old boy, a 51-year-old man and two other men between 25 and 30 years of age.

Eight other Canadians were injured, including two who are listed in critical condition. Ten other people, including two U.S. citizens and eight Mexican employees of the hotel, suffered less serious injuries and were listed as stable.

Canadian consular officials said Canadian citizens at the resort who need emergency consular assistance should contact the Canadian Consulate in Playa del Carmen, at 52 (984) 803-2411.

They can also call the Department of Foreign Affairs emergency operations centre, collect, at 613-996-8885. An email can be sent to sos@international.gc.ca.

Winnipeg travel agents are also checking to see if they have any customersin the resort but theydon't expect many Manitobans are there because the direct charter doesn't start until a week before Christmas.

Ron Pradinuk with Journeys Travel estimates 60,000 Manitobans go to Mexico each year.