Mexico stage collapse: 9 useless, 54 injured at marketing campaign rally in northern Mexico

A stage collapse left at the very least 9 folks useless and 54 injured in northern Mexico when a political rally was hit by a violent storm on Wednesday evening.

Wind and rain tore by the stage setup for presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez, sending it crashing right into a crowd of supporters for the Citizen’s Motion social gathering, the governor of Neuvo Leon stated.

Governor Samuel Garcia stated the victims embody eight adults and one little one. He stated he was headed to a hospital the place three folks had been in surgical procedure.

Others are feared trapped beneath the stage, officers stated.

Footage from the scene confirmed excessive winds toppling the stage in seconds as folks had been heard screaming and working to flee from collapsing metallic poles.

Mr Alvarez Maynez was on the stage when the collapse occurred, and was seen escaping.

The candidate stated he was okay after being taken to hospital, however that members of his crew had been damage and he was suspending his marketing campaign actions.

The victims “is not going to be alone on this tragedy”, he stated.

“The one vital factor at this level is to take care of the victims of the accident,” he wrote on X after the accident within the suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia close to the town of Monterrey.

A video of the incident confirmed Mr Alvarez Maynez cheerfully waving as the group chanted his title. Gusts of wind then begin to choose up, and the candidate could be seen wanting up on the large display screen behind him and its metallic construction.

He ran in direction of the backstage space, away from toppling display screen, because the falling construction landed within the thick of the group.

The display screen was brightly lit by flashy theatre-style lights which additionally got here crashing down, together with their metallic assist poles.

Mr Alvarez Maynez is third in polls within the presidential race, trailing each front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum of the ruling Morena Celebration, and opposition coalition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez.

Police officers, troopers and different officers had been later seen inspecting the grounds of the park the place the occasion was held as many witnesses from the group, visibly nonetheless in shock, had been seen sitting close by.

Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences and stated he “sends a hug to relations, associates of the victims and political supporters.”

Mexico is seeing a closing flurry of marketing campaign occasions this week and subsequent forward of the two June presidential, state and municipal elections.