9 Dead, Dozens Hurt in Stage Collapse at Mexico Rally

A stage at an election rally in Mexico collapsed in high winds Wednesday night, killing at least nine people, including a child. The governor of Nuevo Leon state said another 63 people were injured in the disaster in San Pedro Garza Garcia, a wealthy Monterrey suburb. Presidential candidate Jorge Alvarez Maynez, who was unharmed, said he was suspending all political activities but would remain in the area to monitor the situation, CNN reports. People "will not be alone in this tragedy," he said. Video posted on social media shows people running for cover as winds rip the stage apart.

Maynez said the structure had been inspected but the "very atypical" weather conditions surprised organizers. "What we experienced happened in just a few seconds: A gale came, a sudden wind, and unfortunately, it collapsed the stage, resulting in a fatal accident," he told reporters, per the BBC. Video showed that Maynez ran toward the back of the stage as he saw a giant screen and metal structure collapse toward him, the AP reports.

Maynez. who represents the Citizens' Movement party, is in third place in the presidential race, behind Claudia Sheinbaum from the ruling Morena Party and Xochitl Galvez, leader of an opposition coalition, reports Reuters. Both rivals offered their condolences to victims and Sheinbaum said she had canceled a Thursday rally in Monterrey. (More Mexico stories.)