Friday, December 20, 2024

Supermarket roof collapses during hailstorm in Mexico City

A supermarket roof collapsed in Mexico City on Sunday when it gave way under a hailstorm and heavy rainfall.

Two hundred people were evacuated from the Soriana supermarket located in the Mixcoac neighborhoo in the Benito Juárez borough, south of the historic center. At least one person was injured when a quarter of the roof collapsed, local officials said.

Mexico City’s Civil Protection agency confirmed on Twitter that a large quantity of hail was to blame for the collapse of the 35-meter by 20-meter section.

One shopper filmed the moment that the roof’s beams started to crack and give way.

Video of the roof collapsing that circulated on social media.

 

In the video published by the news network ForoTV, water is seen leaking through the roof moments before its collapse. The person filming can be heard saying “that part is next,” pointing to a section of the roof. Seconds later the roof collapses, provoking screams of panic.

In another video, large amounts of debris can be seen afterward, alongside televisions for sale that continue broadcasting programming, apparently unaffected.

Benito Juárez Mayor Santiago Taboada said there were no reports of people trapped under the roof.

In the nearby boroughs of Álvaro Obregón, Coyoacán and Iztapalapa, roads were covered with ice after the storm, causing traffic problems.

Elsewhere, a 20-meter tree fell in the Tlalpan borough in the south of Mexico City, damaging electricity cables, traffic lights and a vehicle, city authorities said.

With reports from El Universal and Reforma

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