A stage where a presidential candidate was campaigning for a local candidate in northern Mexico collapsed during gusts of wind Wednesday night, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 70, the state’s governor said.
The stage collapsed in San Pedro Garza Garcia, outside Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on social media that the collapse was caused by strong winds.
As the candidates chanted campaign slogans on stage, the wind suddenly began to blow, a video posted on social media showed. When the stage lighting truss fell to the ground, people ran off the stage to avoid being crushed. Others in the crowd ran away screaming, while others held on to each other against the strong wind.
Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel García announced the death toll and the number of injured to reporters Thursday morning. social media One of the dead is said to have been a child. He said 70 people were hospitalized with moderate to severe injuries and 11 had been discharged.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed support for the victims and the Civil Movement Party at a press conference Thursday morning. “I offer my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” he said. “It is very sad.”
The stage set up at the baseball stadium was the campaign ground for Lorenia Canavati, the Civic Movement Party’s mayoral election candidate.
Álvarez Máynez, who was uninjured, said he first felt the strength of the wind when the drum set of the band scheduled to play that night was almost swept away by the wind. When the stage collapsed, he and others jumped, he said.
“It is terrible that the people who came to enjoy a day of celebration and joy with us and the band have now become victims of this tragedy,” said Álvarez Máynez.
Álvarez Máynez said on social media that he was communicating with state authorities to find out what happened. Ms Kanavati said her team was working with authorities to support victims.
The Democratic Party said it had canceled all of its candidates’ events scheduled for Thursday after the stage collapsed due to “hurricane-force winds.”
Mexico’s National Meteorological Agency said wind gusts of up to 43 mph were expected in northeastern Mexico on Wednesday evening, with tornadoes possible in Nuevo Leon and neighboring states.
Nuevo Leon Governor Garcia said in a video message that people should evacuate from the storm.
“We are witnessing an electrical storm. “Very strong winds and heavy rain are expected over the next two hours,” he said. “A tragedy has already occurred.”
People across Mexico are scheduled to vote on June 2 for the presidency and more than 20,000 local, state and congressional seats.
The Citizens’ Movement, a center-left political party founded in 1999, has Álvarez Máynez presenting itself as the third party in this year’s general election as an alternative to Claudia Sheinbaum, the frontrunner in the ruling Morena Party coalition. Mr. came forward as the representative. , and Xóchitl Gálvez of the opposition party. One of them will succeed Mr. López Obrador, who under the constitution cannot run again.
In Mexico, a country plagued by cartel violence, several candidates have been killed this election season. There were no reports of violence at Wednesday’s campaign event.
Victoria Kim and Natalie Kitroev contributed to the report.
