5 dead, 50 wounded in Mexico presidential campaign stage collapse
2 Min Read
Presidential candidate Jorge Maynez says he was not hurt in the incident, confirming that he was "fine and in communication with the authorities" and that the priority was to care for the victims.
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Security forces stand around a stage that collapsed during an event attended by presidential candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez in San Pedro Garza García in Mexico, Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (AP)
Five people were killed and 50 others were injured after a stage collapsed on Wednesday during Mexican presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez’s campaign rally, as confirmed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Initially, Obrador reposted on X a quote by Nuevo León state governor Samuel Garcia, who said, "Four dead and 15 injured are reported."
Lamento el accidente en San Pedro Garza García, causado por un fuerte viento durante el acto al que asistieron Jorge Álvarez Máynez, candidato a la presidencia por Movimiento Ciudadano y otros militantes, dirigentes y candidatos de ese partido. Según me informa Samuel García,…
— Andrés Manuel (@lopezobrador_) May 23, 2024
Later, Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia confirmed that the death toll rose and told reporters from the scene, according to local television, "There was a tragedy," adding, "Preliminarily, we have five people dead and approximately 50 with different types of injuries, some serious."
Meanwhile, Maynez stated he was not hurt in the incident, adding on X, “I am fine and in communication with the authorities," confirming that the priority was to care for the victims.
Estamos en el lugar de los hechos. También están el alcalde de San Pedro y el gobernador de Nuevo León.
— Jorge Álvarez Máynez (@AlvarezMaynez) May 23, 2024
Aquí estaré hasta que la última persona lesionada sea trasladada a un hospital. https://t.co/rP2kzNPKSP
Although he didn’t specify the number of injured people, he noted that his team members were taken to the hospital for treatment.
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Videos of that day had already surfaced and had been broadcast by local media showing a giant screen falling over during Maynez's rally.
The Citizens' Movement party candidate is running for president in the June 2 vote but falls far behind both frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum and main opposition presidential candidate Xochitl Galvez in polling.
This is the second reported incident of this kind in less than a year.
A tragic incident occurred back in October in Mexico as the roof of a church collapsed, resulting in the loss of at least 10 lives and leaving 60 others injured, according to local authorities.
The disaster unfolded in the coastal town of Ciudad Madero, located in the northeastern region of Tamaulipas state. A Red Cross rescuer informed local media that approximately 80 individuals had been present at the Santa Cruz parish when the roof gave way.
MEXICO: Church collapses during baptism ceremony in Ciudad Madero, killing at least 5 people. Dozens more still trapped pic.twitter.com/FPAJokHr2L
— BNO News (@BNONews) October 1, 2023
"Unfortunately, ten people are confirmed dead. Of these, five are women, two men, and three children," Americo Villarreal, governor of Tamaulipas, told reporters at the scene of the disaster.
At least 60 people were treated for injuries, the governor said, with 23 hospitalized.
