Rescue workers dig amongst the debris in a hotel in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo state, Mexico, after an explosion left seven dead - five tourists from Canada and two Mexican employees - and 17 wounded on November 14, 2010.Jose Dominguez/AFP/Getty Images
Family members of some of the five Canadians killed or injured in an explosion that rocked a Mexican resort say they hope the fine imposed on the hotel will lead to better security in tourist destinations.
Layne Pynten, whose brother-in-law Malcolm Johnson was killed in the Nov. 14 blast, said the fine reportedly levied against the Grand Riviere Princess Hotel "doesn't make it better."
Still, it may lead other hotels in regions such as Playa del Carmen, where the resort is located, to take a closer look at the safety of their facilities, Mr. Pynten said in an interview.
"Maybe something will come of this that will protect other tourists in the future," he said Saturday.
Building authorities in Playa del Carmen have fined the hotel the equivalent of US$481,000 for construction violations, according to the Mexican newspaper "El Universal."
The authorities say the original building plans filed to obtain construction permits did not match the completed structure.
Inspectors also noted odours in the hotel that may conflict with local environmental regulations.
Francisco Alor Quezada, prosecutor for the state of Quintana Roo, told the newspaper the municipal government will take legal action if the hotel doesn't pay the fine by next week.
Mr. Quezada said reports on what caused the explosion suggest there was negligence on the part of the hotel's owners as well as local bureaucrats.
Officials previously said they have launched a homicide investigation into the explosion that tore through a lounge of the 676-room hotel.
"It's sad, because maybe if plans had been followed and drafted properly... there's a good chance this would have never happened," Mr. Pynten said.
Linda Smith's husband, Larry, fractured several discs in his back during the blast. The Smiths' friend, Elgin Barron, a resident of Guelph, Ont., was killed.
Linda Smith says the fine "doesn't change anything" about the incident or their loss.
"We can't bring him back," she said of Barron on Saturday. "We just want to move on."
Five Canadians from B.C. and Alberta were killed in the explosion, along with two hotel workers, and 18 others, many of them from Ontario, were injured.