MEXICAN authorities said on Wednesday that eight employees or officials were being investigated for possible misconduct at a migrant detention centre where a fire killed 39 detained men.

Officials in Mexico appeared to place blame for the deaths in the fire late on Monday largely on private, subcontracted security guards at the detention centre in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas. 

Video showed guards hurrying away from the smoky fire apparently without trying to free detainees.