Mexico Fines Elektra Over Celaya Carbon Monoxide Leak
MEXICO · BUSINESS
Key Facts
- —What happened Officials fined Mexican retailer Elektra 11,731 pesos (about US$690) after a July carbon monoxide leak.
- —The scale A diesel generator running with no safety measures leaked gas inside one Celaya store, endangering customers and staff.
- —What it means Local civil protection officers in Celaya penalized Elektra for running that generator without proper precautions.
- —The catch Officials had warned of fines above 46,000 pesos (about US$2,700), but the final penalty came in far smaller.
- —Where The store sits on Calle Morelos in Celaya, a manufacturing city in Guanajuato state, Mexico.
A leaking generator briefly shut down an Elektra store in Celaya, and the retailer has now paid a modest price.
Elektra is a major Mexican retailer and consumer lender, part of Ricardo Salinas Pliego’s Grupo Salinas conglomerate. One of its stores sits on Calle Morelos, a busy commercial street in Celaya, a mid-sized manufacturing city in Guanajuato state.
On July 12, a diesel-powered generator at that store began leaking dangerous carbon monoxide gas. Local civil protection officers temporarily shut the store down until the danger was fully resolved.
A Generator Leak Forced a Temporary Closure
A customer visiting the store that Sunday reported the danger to local authorities, according to La Silla Rota. Civil protection officers arrived and found the generator running with no safety measures in place.
Both customers and employees were still inside the store when officials arrived on the scene. They said carbon monoxide levels inside had grown severe enough to cause serious harm.
The store’s manager initially refused to switch the generator off, saying he lacked the authority to do so. Civil protection staff disconnected the machine themselves and ordered everyone to evacuate.
Celaya had already seen a similar tragedy that year. An employee died in March after carbon monoxide poisoning tied to a generator at another downtown store, La Silla Rota reported.
The Elektra store reopened just days after the closure, according to the local newspaper Periódico Correo. It first had to meet civil protection’s safety requirements before resuming normal business.
A Small Fine, but Fresh Scrutiny
Celaya’s civil protection agency has now fined Elektra 11,731 pesos (about US$690) for the July safety lapse. Officials said the store had run its generator without the required precautions in place.
That penalty is far smaller than the fine officials floated back in July. They had warned at the time that violations like these could bring fines above 46,000 pesos (about US$2,700).
Even the larger figure would be a rounding error for a company the size of Grupo Salinas. Still, the case adds fresh scrutiny to Elektra’s workplace safety record in Mexico this year.
Grupo Elektra’s retail and financial service points now number more than 7,700 across Mexico and several neighboring countries in Latin America. Its retail arm sells appliances, electronics, furniture and phones to millions of shoppers.
Grupo Salinas also owns Banco Azteca, a lender that mostly serves middle- and lower-income customers. Neither Elektra nor Grupo Salinas has publicly commented on the Celaya fine so far.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Elektra’s store in Celaya?
A diesel generator at the store leaked dangerous carbon monoxide gas on July 12. Local officials shut the store temporarily until the danger passed.
How much was Elektra fined, and how does that compare to the warning?
Celaya’s civil protection agency fined Elektra 11,731 pesos (about US$690). Officials had earlier warned that fines could exceed 46,000 pesos (about US$2,700).
Is the Celaya store still closed?
No, the store reopened just days after the July shutdown. It resumed normal business once officials confirmed the danger was resolved.
Sources: Periódico Correo, La Silla Rota, El Sol del Bajío, Grupo Elektra (company reports), The Rio Times.
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