Prosecutor blames police for Mexico disco deaths

Mexico City's top prosecutor on Wednesday said a senior police officer's decision to seal the exit of a crowded disco during a raid last week caused a dozen people to die.

Mexico City Attorney General Rodolfo Felix blamed Guillermo Zayas, who led Friday's botched raid on underage drinking at the News Divine nightclub in the Mexican capital.

Nine youths and three officers were asphyxiated when more than 1,000 people rushed to get out of the building during a party to celebrate the end of the school year.

"Zayas never gave the order to allow the youths to get through the police wall," Felix told a news conference.

The senior officer has been hospitalized with health problems, and seven other top Mexico City police chiefs were under arrest in connection with the incident, Felix said.

Earlier this week, Felix blamed the deaths on a lack of police planning and command errors. He said some 17 police commanders had been fired and called to testify.

Police video images show the desperation of workers trapped inside after the nightclub's owner announced the presence of police over the loudspeaker system.

Selling alcohol to people under 18 is illegal in Mexico and nightclubs are only allowed to operate within certain time limits. However, those laws are largely ignored by bar and nightclub owners and police had sought to crack down.