SAN PEDRO GARZA GARCIA (Reuters) – Nine people died on Wednesday evening in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon after a stage collapsed at a campaign event for the Citizens' Movement party, the state's governor said.
Around 50 people were also injured, Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia said on social media, while the director of Mexico's social security institute reported that dozens were being treated at local clinics.
The victims were eight adults and one child, Garcia said, adding that he was headed to a hospital where three people were in surgery.
Jorge Alvarez Maynez, the presidential candidate for the centrist Citizens' Movement party, said a gust of wind caused the stage to collapse at the event in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia, a wealthy enclave near the industrial hub of Monterrey.
Video of the accident showed the structure suddenly falling forward into the crowd, sending the politicians on stage running for cover and panicked attendees scattering.
"I've never experienced something so sudden," Alvarez Maynez told reporters, referring to how quickly the wind picked up before the stage collapsed.
Alvarez Maynez, who returned to the scene of the accident after being cleared at a local hospital, said he was suspending campaign activities and that he hoped authorities investigate what occurred, requesting transparency in the process.
Alvarez Maynez's campaign coordinator Laura Ballesteros was hospitalized with a broken foot, according to the party, and mayoral candidate for San Pedro Garza Garcia, Lorenia Canavati, wrote on social media that she was coordinating with authorities to support those impacted and their families.
Members of Mexico's national guard and army were on the scene to provide support, Interior Minister Luisa Alcalde said on social media.
Governor Garcia warned residents to stay indoors amid strong thunderstorms in the area.
Alvarez Maynez is polling in third place in Mexico's presidential election set for June 2. He is trailing far behind ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum and second-place Xochitl Galvez, who represents a broad opposition coalition.
Galvez and Sheinbaum both offered condolences for the families of the victims in posts on social media, with Sheinbaum canceling a rally planned for Thursday evening in Monterrey.