Mexico’s Congress Building Swept by Blaze; 1 Killed

MEXICO CITY — The governmental Congress building was badly damaged by a major fire early Friday that killed one man and destroyed the Chamber of Deputies, authorities said.

Miguel Soriano Blanco, 46, who worked as a waiter for Congress President Guillermo Jimenez Morales, was killed in the blaze.

Another man, Juan Gaspar Vila Garcia, was overcome by smoke and taken to a hospital, city authorities said.

The fire, which broke out at 3:30 a.m., was brought under control two hours later. Firefighters arrived within minutes, but flames were so fierce that in the Chamber of Deputies, which had carpeting and wood furnishings, only the steel frames of the legislators’ seats were left standing.

Mexico City Mayor Manuel Camacho Solis and city Police Chief Javier Garcia Paniagua arrived early at the scene to watch as fire fighters from seven nearby stations battled the flames.