San Pedro Garza García, Mexico – A tragic incident unfolded at a campaign event for Mexican presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Máynez, resulting in the death of five individuals and injuring at least 50 others. The collapse of a stage structure during the event in the northern state of Nuevo Leon was attributed to a sudden gust of wind, according to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Máynez, who was addressing his supporters from the stage at the time of the collapse, narrowly escaped harm and was briefly hospitalized following the incident. The director of Mexico’s social security institute reported that numerous individuals were receiving medical treatment at local clinics.
Describing the harrowing experience, Máynez stated, “I am fine and in communication with state authorities to follow up on what happened. The only important thing right now is to care for the victims of the accident.” Consequently, the presidential candidate decided to halt his election campaign activities.
Video footage shared on social media captured the chaotic scene as the stage structure collapsed while Máynez was interacting with the crowd. The mayor of San Pedro Garza Garcia, Miguel Treviño, expressed concern for those trapped and injured, offering prayers for the victims.
At 38 years old, Máynez, a former state legislator representing the centrist Citizen Movement party, is currently trailing in third place in the presidential race, with the election scheduled to take place on June 2nd. The frontrunners in the campaign are Claudia Sheinbaum, the former Mexico City head of government, and Xochitl Galvez, a former mayor of the city’s Miguel Hidalgo borough.
As investigations into the tragic incident continue, the thoughts and well-wishes of the political community are with the victims and all those affected by the stage collapse at the campaign rally.