The lights and the giant screen were seen toppling onto the stage where the presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez and members of his Citizens’ Movement party were standing.
San Pedro Garza Garcia: Nine people died and several were injured in a stage collapse due to gusty winds at an election campaign rally for the Citizens’ Movement party in the state of Nuevo Leon on Wednesday (local time). The circulating footage of the accident showed people screaming and trying to run away from the collapsing structure. The lights and the giant screen were seen toppling onto the stage where the presidential candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez and members of his Citizens’ Movement party were standing.
Mexico Stage Collapse: Watch Video
#Ahora🔴| Más imágenes del colapso del escenario en el evento de @MovCiudadanoMX en San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León. pic.twitter.com/Nb96COySRe
— Braulio Luna (@brauliolunan) May 23, 2024
Samuel Garcia, governor of the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon stated through X, “I have just visited Clinic 7 and I regret to report that so far the number of people who died in the accident amounts to 8 adults and 1 minor. The injured who are in this clinic are now stable.”
Presidential Candidate Máynez Escapes Unhurt
Presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez escaped the collapse with no injuries. He described the accident as a tragedy and said, “We have to have solidarity, there is nothing that can repair an accident, damage to this nature, and people will not be alone in this tragedy and through the consequences that this tragedy will have on their lives.”
After receiving medical clearance from hospital authorities, Maynez returned to the accident site. He has suspended the campaign and says that he hopes the officials will investigate the incident with complete transparency.
Jose Juan, a rally attendee, reported that he witnessed the structure collapse. “I fainted after being hit on the head. The rest was pure hysteria and panic.”
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated he was extending “a hug to the family members, friends of the victims, and political supporters”. He also let Máynez and his party off the hook by saying, “We know that they are not to blame.”
On Wednesday night, Mexico’s meteorological service warned of heavy rain, wind gusts up to 70 kilometres per hour, and the possibility of tornadoes in Nuevo Leon and other northern states. Governor Garcia urged locals to stay indoors due to heavy thunderstorms in the area.