Mexico City Subway Overpass Collapses Killing At Least 23 People

A subway train overpass in Mexico City collapsed onto a busy road below on Monday night, killing at least 23 people, according to authorities.

Source: VALENTINA ALPIDE / Getty

Photos and video footage from the scene show the mangled train cars hanging from the demolished overpass as rescue personnel search and transport the injured parties on stretchers. More than 60 people were injured in the incident.

“A support beam gave way,” Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum revealed at the scene of the accident. She went on to say that the beam collapsed just as the train passed over it. At the time, the mayor told reporters at the site that 65 people had been taken to hospitals, with seven of them in serious condition.

Sheinbaum went on to say that a crane was being used to hold up the train so rescue workers could continue to work. Of those who died, some are children, though the mayor was not able to specify a number. Earlier that night, she said that one of the victims was in a car under the collapsed overpass and was alive at a hospital.

A local resident named Alfonso told Telemundo that he had heard a screeching noise on Monday night, alerting him of the incident.

“I even thought that it was a car that had collided around here, but no, I came out and saw the scene,” he said.

This accident is especially scary as Mexico’s subway system is among the busiest in the world. Line 12 was built when Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard was the mayor of Mexico City.

“What happened today in the metro is a terrible tragedy. My solidarity with the victims and their families,” Ebrard tweeted following the news. “Of course we need to investigate cause and determine responsibility. I reiterate to all authorities my complete willingness to contribute to everything necessary.”