NTD
A tragic incident occurred at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday when a stage collapsed due to high winds, resulting in nine fatalities and injuring dozens of attendees. The rally, held for the Citizens’ Movement party in Nuevo Leon, was disrupted as the large, concert-style structure was torn apart by the wind.
Samuel Garcia, the state’s governor, reported that 63 people were injured, including eight adults and one child who lost their lives. Some of the injured were taken to local clinics, while others were treated at hospitals, with three individuals undergoing surgery. The incident happened in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia, a wealthy area near Monterrey, and video footage captured the stage falling forward into the crowd, causing chaos and panic.
Jorge Alvarez Maynez, the Citizens’ Movement party’s presidential candidate, explained that a sudden gust of wind caused the stage to collapse. He has since suspended his campaign activities and called for a transparent investigation into the incident. Alvarez Maynez’s campaign coordinator, Laura Ballesteros, was hospitalized with a broken foot, and the mayoral candidate for San Pedro Garza Garcia, Lorenia Canavati, is coordinating support efforts for those affected.
National guard and army personnel were present to provide assistance, and Governor Garcia advised residents to stay indoors due to ongoing severe weather. Both leading presidential candidates, Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez, expressed their condolences to the victims’ families, with Sheinbaum also canceling a planned rally in Monterrey.
