Nine people, including a child, are dead and at least 50 are injured after a tragic accident during an election rally in northern Mexico. The incident occurred on Wednesday night when strong winds caused a stage to collapse at an event for presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez in Nuevo Leon. Witnesses describe a terrifying scene as the crowd fled while the lights and a giant screen came crashing down.
Medical teams were quickly on the scene, attending to the injured and moving bodies into vans. Soldiers were also present, surveying the field which was littered with debris and campaign posters. Maynez himself escaped serious injury but some members of his team were taken to the hospital for treatment. The extent of their injuries is currently unknown.
In a statement, Maynez said he would remain at the scene until the last injured person was taken to the hospital. He also announced the suspension of his upcoming campaign events. Mexico’s current President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, offered his condolences to the families and friends of the victims and expressed his concern for their well-being.
The rally, organized by Maynez’s Citizens’ Movement party, was held in the affluent suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia, just outside of Monterrey. Videos of the incident show Maynez waving at the crowd and chanting his name before realizing that a giant screen is about to collapse on him. He quickly moves to the back of the stage in an attempt to avoid the structure.
BREAKING: Stage collapses during political rally in northeast Mexico. At least 4 dead, many injured pic.twitter.com/9Aik66gdyv
— BNO News (@BNONews) May 23, 2024
The collapse resulted in multiple fatalities, including eight adults and one minor. Governor Samuel Garcia called the accident a “tragedy” in a statement on social media. He also urged people to avoid going outside due to the severe weather conditions, which included heavy rain, strong winds, and the possibility of tornadoes.
Maynez reassured his followers on social media that he was okay, but there were “victims” of the accident. He also stated that he was in communication with authorities and the only important thing at this point was to take care of the victims. The closing rally was for a Citizens’ Movement candidate for mayor of San Pedro Garza Garcia, Lorenia Canavati. Other party candidates for senators and lawmakers were also in attendance.
Messages of solidarity and condolences poured in from all corners, including President López Obrador, frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum, and opposition candidate Xochitl Galvez. Sheinbaum announced the cancellation of her planned rally in Monterrey as a sign of solidarity with the victims and their families. Galvez expressed her condolences and prayers for the victims and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.
The event has cast a somber cloud over the upcoming June 2nd election, which includes state and municipal offices. This election season has already been marred by political violence, including the murders of over two dozen candidates. This tragic accident, however, is the first of its kind to occur on the campaign trail. Maynez, who has been polling behind the two frontrunners, is now taking time to recover and reflect on the tragic events of the rally. The investigation into the cause of the stage collapse is ongoing.
