The governor of Nuevo León, Mexico, Samuel Garcia, has promised to compensate victims of a deadly stage collapse. The tragedy occurred during a rally for presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez and resulted in nine fatalities, including the tragic loss of a child. Over a hundred more individuals were injured in the incident.
Garcia, who is responsible for the northern Mexico State, used X – formerly known as Twitter – to communicate his condolences to the victims and their families. He explained the stage’s collapse resulted from high winds during Maynez’s rally. In an effort to take responsibility, Garcia stated that the Nuevo León government will cover all funeral expenses for those who have lost their lives in this awful event. In addition to the funeral costs, financial assistance will be given to any children who have lost a parent in the collapse.
A video publicly available online shows Maynez waving to those in attendance just before it becomes visible that the screen was falling towards him. Maynez managed to leave the stage alongside others before the collapse. He later returned to assist with the emergency response once it was confirmed he was safe.
Maynez, who represents Movimiento Ciudadano, a center-left party in Mexico, shared his visit to the injured victims in the hospital where he called it “one of the most painful experiences of my life.”
In a show of respect, Maynez and other rivals for the presidency, such as Claudia Sheinbaum, have cancelled upcoming campaign events to keep attention and support on the victims’ needs. This sentiment has been echoed across social media where thousands in Mexico have used their platforms to express solidarity with those affected.
With regards to the medical intervention following the event, as of Governor Garcia’s statement, 94 patients have been treated and released by the state health ministry. However, 27 victims remain hospitalized. Garcia’s commitment to covering costs and the ongoing medical care are part of the official response to this tragic event.
Even Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador offered his regrets for the incident via his social media profile, showing that this event’s impact reaches far beyond the immediate community.
For further information, the full details about this incident can be found in this report.