Criminal gangs attached to the drug trade carried out liquid bomb attack on a casino in the industrial city of Monterrey in the North Mexico killing 53 people and injuring several others on Thursday.

President Felipe Calderon condemned the attack on the Casino Royale describing it as a barbaric act of terror. Governor Rodrigo Medina said in a statement that the casino was set ablaze with some kind of flammable liquid, probably gasoline.

TV channels reported that the drug lords ordered the attack as some owners of the casinos have refused to pay the protection money to them. In recent times, several casinos were targeted by the drug mafia, according to the media reports.

Reports said six men arrived at the casino in two vehicles around 4 pm (2100 GMT) on Thursday and carried out the attack suddenly.