At least 23 killed as Mexico City metro overpass collapses
Mexico City, May 4 (EFE).- At least 23 people have been killed and 49 hospitalized after a Mexico City metro overpass collapsed, causing two subway wagons to drop down onto a busy road late Monday.
Local residents took to social media to criticize authorities, saying they had repeatedly warned about structural issues at the overpass on Line 12, between the stations of Olivos and Tezoncos, following the large earthquake that hit the Mexican capital in September 2017.
“Unfortunately, what happened was a beam collapsed when a train passed over it, all investigations will be conducted to find out what caused this accident,” Mexico City Governor Claudia Sheinbaum told the press at the scene of the accident.
Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard tweeted: “What happened today was a terrible tragedy. My solidarity with the victims and their families. Of course, the causes must be investigated and responsibilities defined.”
The first video images show how two subway cars fell on the road where dozens of vehicles were circulating at the time.
Emergency services immediately arrived to attend to victims and remove the train.
The accident occurred shortly before 10:20 p.m. local time (03:20 GMT on Tuesday.)
Security camera footage shows how the elevated structure breaks when the train collapses, from a height of about 20 meters, and two wagons of the convoy remain in a “V” shape having impacted the floor. The crash occurred on Tláhuac avenue where there was moderate traffic.
The installation is part of the subway bridge built during the Administration of Ebrard (2006-2012), now the country’s foreign minister.
The accident occurred a couple of kilometers from the Periferico Oriente highway and dozens of agents from the Secretariat of Citizen Security and Civil Protection arrived at the scene.
Images shared online show the wagons on a bus and at least two cars.
A fire broke out Jan. 9 in the control center of the Mexico City Metro, in the Historic Center, which caused one death and at least 30 injuries, paralyzing six train lines.
The Metro of the Mexican capital transports about 6 million people daily, which makes it one of the busiest in the world, although its demand drops on weekends.
Various citizen organizations have criticized the precariousness of the facilities and the lack of maintenance that causes frequent interruptions in the Metro service. EFE
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