At least nine dead as stage collapses during political rally in northeast Mexico

A stage collapse left at least nine people dead and 54 injured in northern Mexico when a political rally was hit by a violent storm on Wednesday night.

Wind and rain tore through the stage setup for presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez, sending it crashing into a crowd of supporters for the Citizen’s Movement party, the governor of Neuvo Leon said.

Governor Samuel Garcia said the victims include eight adults and one child. He said he was headed to a hospital where three people were in surgery.

Others are feared trapped under the stage, officials said.

Footage from the scene showed high winds toppling the stage in seconds as people were heard screaming and running to escape from collapsing metal poles.

Mr Alvarez Maynez was on the stage when the collapse occurred, and was seen escaping.

The candidate said he was ok after being taken to hospital, but that members of his team were hurt and he was suspending his campaign activities.

The victims “will not be alone in this tragedy”, he said.

“The only important thing at this point is to care for the victims of the accident,” he wrote on X after the accident in the suburb of San Pedro Garza Garcia near the city of Monterrey.

A video of the incident showed Mr Alvarez Maynez cheerfully waving as the crowd chanted his name. Gusts of wind then start to pick up, and the candidate can be seen looking up at the giant screen behind him and its metal structure.

He ran towards the backstage area, away from toppling screen, as the falling structure landed in the thick of the crowd.

The screen was brightly lit by flashy theatre-style lights which also came crashing down, along with their metal support poles.

Mr Alvarez Maynez is third in polls in the presidential race, trailing both front-runner Claudia Sheinbaum of the ruling Morena Party, and opposition coalition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez.

Police officials, soldiers and other officials were later seen inspecting the grounds of the park where the event was held as many witnesses from the crowd, visibly still in shock, were seen sitting nearby.

Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed his condolences and said he “sends a hug to family members, friends of the victims and political supporters.”

Mexico is seeing a final flurry of campaign events this week and next ahead of the 2 June presidential, state and municipal elections.