Photo: JULIO CESAR AGUILAR / AFP / Getty Images
A campaign rally in Mexico ended in tragedy after high winds caused the stage to collapse, leaving nine people dead and 54 others injured. One child was among those who died.
Jorge Álvarez Máynez, who is running for president with the Citizens' Movement party, was hosting a rally in the San Pedro Garza García with Lorenia Canavati, who is running for mayor of the city when a gust of wind tore down part of the stage and blew it into the crowd.
" What we experienced happened in just a few seconds: A gale came, a sudden wind, and unfortunately, it collapsed the stage, resulting in a fatal accident," Máynez told Reuters. "I first saw the musicians' drums from the group that was going to play were going to get blown away. When the others noticed, they ran in different directions; some jumped to the sides (of the stage), and I jumped back."
Máynez was taken to the hospital as a precaution but returned to the scene after he was medically cleared. He said he would suspend campaign activities in light of the accident and urged politicians to conduct a transparent investigation into the collapse.