The service turned into tragedy. At least seven people were killed in Mexico on Sunday when the roof of a church collapsed during mass in the city of Ciudad Madero, in the state of Tamaulipas, with a population of just over 200,000.
“Seven people are confirmed dead and ten injured have been rescued,” the state government security spokesperson said, indicating that searches were underway to rescue those trapped. According to local media, at least 20 people are trapped under the rubble of the industrial-style Santa Cruz parish church. The accident occurred around 2:18 p.m. when, likely due to a structural failure, the upper part of the church collapsed, authorities said.
People still under the rubble
“We are experiencing a very difficult moment (…) the roof of a church collapsed during the celebration of the Eucharist,” declared José Armando Alvarez, bishop of the diocese of Tampico, to which the church belongs, in a video posted on social networks. “At present, the necessary work is underway to evacuate the people still under the rubble,” he added, without specifying the number of people affected.
The governor of Tamaulipas, Américo Villareal, lamented the tragedy on his X account and indicated that emergency services had been mobilized to care for the victims. “The security and civil protection services are already managing the situation (…) they are on site to coordinate rescue operations,” he wrote.
Emergency services act like after an earthquake
Footage from Milenio television channel showed dozens of people trying to support part of the collapsed structure with poles, while others made their way through the rubble in search of survivors. Rescuers, as they had done during relief operations following the 2017 earthquake that shook central Mexico, raised their fists in the air to demand silence and identify any cries of those caught in the fire. trap.
The area is surrounded by several ambulances, police and military personnel, as well as many people rushing around looking for family members who were in the church. Messages were posted on social media asking for tools, such as hydraulic jacks or sledgehammers, to remove the debris.