A shopping mall under construction in Monterrey, Nuevo León, collapsed yesterday, killing seven people, authorities said.
A further 14 people were injured and rescue workers continued searching this morning for one person trapped under the rubble. All the victims are believed to be construction workers.
Around 150 rescue workers including military personnel have contributed to search and rescue efforts.
Assistant attorney general Luis Enrique Orozco Suárez confirmed that only one person is missing and not nine as had been reported last night. Six of the seven men killed have been identified, he said.
Nuevo León Civil Protection deputy director Miguel Ángel Perales Hernández said that three concrete slabs collapsed at around midday, crushing the workers. The cause of the collapse is unclear.
Work on the three-story building in the Cumbres del Sol district was being carried out without a building permit, municipal authorities said.
Monterrey urban development secretary Luis Bortoni said the project was suspended in November 2017 after a wall on the perimeter of the site collapsed. “It’s a completely illegal construction . . .” he said.
Both the director of the project and the owner of the property could face criminal charges, including negligent homicide. Authorities are still attempting to locate the former.
Nuevo León Governor Jaime Rodríguez Calderón last night visited the site of the disaster and pledged that the state government would provide medical and psychological care to the families of victims.
Source: El Financiero (sp), Milenio (sp), Excelsior (sp)
