SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA, MEXICO – A disastrous incident at a political rally in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon claimed the lives of nine people, including a child, and left 63 injured following a sudden wind gust that caused the stage structure to collapse. The unfortunate event unfolded on Wednesday night, according to the state governor’s statement.
The rally was attended by presidential candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez, who managed to dodge the falling structure. Videos uploaded on social media platforms vividly depict terrified attendees scampering away from the site and struggling to free themselves from the debris.
Máynez expressed his condolences towards the victims and announced the suspension of his future campaign events.
In the aftermath of the accident, the grounds of the park where the event was held were filled with law enforcement officials, and stunned locals were witnesses to the tragic event.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador extended his condolences to the victims’ family members and friends. Fellow presidential candidates across Mexico also shared their sympathies.
Máynez informed on his social media channels that he had visited a hospital following the incident, held in the affluent suburban area of San Pedro Garza Garcia, near Monterrey city. He confirmed his wellbeing. Images and footages circulating online show the presidential hopeful acknowledging cheers from the crowd skirting the stage. Sights of the massive screen and stage rig hurtling towards him had him sprinting in the opposite direction, barely escaping the falling structure.
Máynez, currently third in the presidential poll rankings, is trailing Claudia Sheinbaum of the ruling Morena Party and the opposition coalition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez. The accident prompted condolences from both, with Sheinbaum even canceling a related event out of solidarity for victims and their grieving families.
Despite being in peak campaign season with numerous scheduled events ahead of the June 2nd presidential, state, and local elections, the focus remains on managing the consequences of this tragic occurrence.