Local officials in Mexico reported a devastating incident on Sunday, where a church’s roof collapsed, resulting in the loss of at least nine lives and injuries to 40 others.
The tragedy occurred in Ciudad Madero, a coastal town in northeastern Tamaulipas state, where a Red Cross rescuer revealed to local media that 80 people were present at the Santa Cruz parish when the roof gave way.
The state’s security spokesperson took to the social media platform X to express regret, stating, ‘Regrettably, 9 deaths and 40 injured are reported,’ while noting the persistence of rescue operations.
Local media reported that at least 20 people were missing under the rubble and that baptism was being celebrated when the ceiling collapsed.
‘We are experiencing a very difficult moment… the roof of a church has collapsed during the celebration of the Eucharist,’ the bishop of the local diocese Jose Armando Alvarez said in a video posted to social media.
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‘At this moment they are doing the necessary work to save the people who are still under the rubble,’ he added vaguely without specifics of the incident.
Milenio television reported that a Red Cross rescuer has voiced concerns, suggesting that the death toll may see an unfortunate escalation.
In a statement to Milenio television, a Red Cross responder shared their apprehension about the potential increase in the number of fatalities.
Multiple ambulances, patrol vehicles, and a notable presence of police and military personnel were evident at the location, as many individuals were actively trying to locate their family members who had attended the church.
On local news broadcasts, viewers witnessed scenes of many people using improvised poles to stabilise a section of the collapsed structure, as others meticulously combed through the wreckage, hoping to locate survivors.
The recovery scene bore a striking resemblance to earthquake response efforts, with rescuers raising their fists to beckon silence, their ears finely tuned to catch any desperate calls for aid from those trapped under the debris.
‘Security and civil protection forces are already dealing with the situation… to coordinate rescue plans,’ Tamaulipas Governor Americo Villarreal wrote on X.
Allegedly captured by a nearby security camera, a video seems to depict the moment of the collapse, with the church structure vanishing into a billowing cloud of dust.