A Train Line In Mexico City Collapsed, Killing At Least 20 People

“There are unfortunately children among the dead,” the city's mayor said.

by by Alex Campbell

BuzzFeed News Reporter

, by Ade Onibada

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Updated on May 4, 2021, 2:31 pmPosted on May 4, 2021, 9:32 am

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{ "id": 126994628 } Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

Rescue workers gather at the site of the train accident.

{ "id": 126994627 }

At least 23 people have died in Mexico City after an elevated train line collapsed Monday night, according to local officials.

The subway train traveling on Line 12 plummeted to the ground after an overpass caved in at around 10:22 p.m local time.

At least 70 people were taken to the hospital, seven of who were undergoing surgery, said Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum in a news conference, according to the Mexican news service Telediario.

“There are unfortunately children among the dead,” Sheinbaum said, according to the Associated Press.

Footage of the incident shared on social media showed the moment the overpass collapsed, sending two carriages downward onto vehicle traffic on both sides.

A survivor who was trapped in a vehicle beneath the debris was rescued, said the mayor.

Officials have so far identified two of those killed.

Sheinbaum advised members of the public who believed that their loved ones may have been involved to reach out as the effort to identify victims continued.

"We send our support to all the families who have lost someone and everyone who has someone in the hospital, and we are going to be helping them and giving them all the support they want," said the mayor.

Mexico City's subway system is one of the world's largest, according to the AP, and the second-busiest subway system in North America.

Line 12, also known as the Golden Line, is the most recently launched route and runs through the city from southwest to southeast.

A section of the line was forced to temporarily shut down in 2014 due to reported infrastructure issues that posed a threat to passenger safety.

Further partial closures were necessary in 2017 in the aftermath of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that left visible structural damage.

Speaking after Monday's collapse, the mayor assured the public that there would be a thorough government investigation focused on what happened, which would include the assistance of international experts.

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  Alex Campbell is the London Bureau Chief for BuzzFeed News and is a deputy investigations editor. His secure PGP fingerprint is C99D 2577 74B1 8DF0 6E90 3CD7 DFF4 C0F2 2492

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  Ade Onibada is a reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.

  Contact Ade Onibada at [email protected].