The death toll resulting from the collapse of a church roof during a Sunday Mass in northern Mexico has now reached 10, with an additional 60 individuals sustaining injuries, according to officials who provided an update on Monday. The disaster unfolded in the Gulf Coast city of Ciudad Madero in Tamaulipas state, where five women, two men, and three children tragically lost their lives, as confirmed by State Governor Americo Villarreal.
Chilling footage circulating on social media captured the moment when the church’s roof gave way, releasing billows of gray smoke into the air, followed by the crumbling of the yellow brick exterior walls. Reports from Mexican media also revealed that several children had been baptized during the Sunday Mass at the church.
Governor Villarreal stated that all individuals who were attending the service are now believed to have been accounted for, as a coordinated effort involving military personnel and emergency services, along with the assistance of rescue dogs and heavy machinery, was deployed to meticulously search through the debris.
Regrettably, Governor Villarreal shared that 23 individuals remained hospitalized, with two in critical condition. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed his condolences to the grieving families of the victims during his routine morning press conference.
Bishop Jose Armando Alvarez, representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of nearby Tampico, revealed that the church roof gave way while worshippers were receiving communion and appealed to others to join in prayer for the survivors of this devastating tragedy.