(USNewsBreak.com) – Political rallies often draw a large number of prospective voters who want to hear the candidate’s platform. In Mexico, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, a long-shot presidential candidate, was campaigning in Nuevo Leon when the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. A particularly strong gust of wind ended up toppling part of the stage, killing nine people and injuring many more.
On Wednesday, May 22, Álvarez Máynez was in the middle of a campaign speech and rallying the crowd, several of whom were on the stage, in San Pedro Garza Garcia, a Monterrey suburb, when it suddenly became extremely windy. As a result of the weather, part of the stage, the lighting truss, collapsed.
People began screaming and jumping off the platform while others ran away to avoid injury. Sadly, nine people, including a child, died. The most recent reports provide a figure of at least 121 injured.
Following the accident, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) took to social media to express his condolences for the lives lost and to let the Mexican people know he was standing with them.
Álvarez Máynez went to the hospital following the incident but said he was well. He gave a statement, saying it’s “terrible that the people who came to enjoy a day of celebration, of joy … are now victims of this tragedy.” The presidential candidate is working with authorities to determine what happened.
Following the tragedy, Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel García addressed the severe weather — weather agencies had issued wind advisories and advised about the possibility of tornadoes — and urged citizens to take cover from the inclement weather. He warned about “electric storms” and “Very strong winds and heavy rain.”
This year’s presidential election in Mexico has provoked contention. Several candidates have died due to extreme violence in the region. However, Wednesday’s rally didn’t prompt any reports of violent activity.
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