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Gunmen set Mexican casino fire, kill 53

MONTERREY, Mexico, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- At least 53 people died in a Mexican casino Thursday after armed men used gasoline to set a fire that gutted the building, officials in Monterrey said.

The death toll, already the highest from any single incident in Monterrey, was expected to rise, The Wall Street Journal reported. Investigators said they believe the attack was related to a feud between the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel that has turned Monterrey into a battleground in the past year.

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"Six hooded gunmen came in, shouting obscenities and firing their guns," a witness said on local television. "They drenched the place with gasoline. People were running as the place went up in flames. Those who stayed behind burned to death."

Rodrigo Medina, governor of Nuevo Leon, told El Norte at least 53 deaths had been confirmed.

Monterrey, in northeastern Mexico, is the center of the country's third-largest metropolitan area and had a reputation as a peaceful and prosperous place until it was hit by drug violence. In July, 21 people were shot and killed in a Monterrey bar.

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