At least nine people, including a child, lost their lives and around 50 were injured following a stage collapse during a political rally in Nuevo León, Mexico, according to the state governor.
The incident happened while Jorge Alvarez Maynez, a presidential candidate from the centre-left, was speaking in San Pedro Garza Garcia, near Monterrey.
Although Maynez was not injured, he reported that several of his team members were hurt. He attributed the collapse to an unexpected strong wind, as he later posted on social media platform X.
Videos circulating online show the moment the lighting structure fell while people were on stage, with one clip showing Maynez acknowledging his supporters before hurrying to safety.
Maynez described the event as a sudden and unusual weather phenomenon that led to the tragic stage collapse.
Eight adults and one child were the casualties, detailed State Governor Samuel Garcia, who also noted that three of the injured required surgical intervention.
Garcia advised residents to stay indoors due to ongoing severe weather conditions.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences to the families and supporters of the victims.
Maynez, a late entrant to the presidential race and currently third in national polls, decided to pause his campaign following the incident.
Mexico‘s officials recently confirmed that the bodies found with gunshot wounds in a well are those of three missing tourists, including an American.
The deceased were identified by the family members of American Jack Carter Rhoad and Australian siblings Jake and Callum Robinson, avoiding the need for DNA testing, as per the Baja California Attorney General’s office.
