López Obrador has promised a “full investigation” …

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Tuesday promised a “thorough investigation” into the accident with a metro train in the capital which left at least 24 dead and 79 injured. López Obrador explained that the investigation is in the hands of the Attorney General’s office and that it will receive support from independent international experts. A viaduct that had previously had infrastructure and operating problems collapsed Monday evening, causing some cars to fall on line 12 of the Mexico City metro. The tragedy strikes the former mayor of the Mexican capital at the time of the construction of the line, the current chancellor Marcelo Ebrard and the current mayor Claudia Sheinbaum. Both are emerging as possible candidates for the ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) in the 2024 presidential elections.

“A thorough investigation will be carried out, without regard of any kind, seeking to know the truth (…), from there the responsibility will be established”, assured President López Obrador, deploring the tragedy during his usual press conference in the morning. He declared that “absolutely nothing will be hidden” since “the Mexican people must know the whole truth”.

The president declared that he supported the “position” of the government of Mexico, which a few moments before had announced a double expertise, both of the office of the attorney general of the capital and of a specialized international and external company. “You tell the truth, don’t lie, steal or betray the people, and every day you will report this unfortunate affair”, said Morena’s chief.

In addition, López Obrador promised that information about the tragedy would be provided daily and expressed his condolences for the victims and injured of the collapse. “For now, our fraternal and sincere embrace to the families of the victims and all our support for the injured, whom we will continue to treat to save their lives so that we have no more deaths,” he said.

Present at the conference, the mayor of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum assured that “Citizens have the right to know the truth, which is why an external expert will be carried out”. Sheinbaum confirmed that the accident happened when a beam that supported the 12-meter-high bridge, on which the train was running, expired. “We are looking for an international company to provide technical expertise and to be able to reach the causes of this unfortunate incident,” added the mayor of the capital.

Rescuers were still working in the area of ​​the tragedy to rescue four trapped bodies as of Tuesday afternoon in the mass of iron and concrete to which certain wagons were reduced, which were dismantled with cranes. Metro line 12 was built under the town hall of Marcelo Ebrard (2006-2012), current chancellor and close associate of López Obrador.

After the accident, the local press discussed the controversies that arose during the construction of this section of approximately 25 kilometers and its recurring operating problems. From the start of operations, wear was detected on the track and the wheels of the trains, which in March 2014 forced Miguel Mancera, Ebrard’s successor, to suspend service in 12 stations.

Fernando Espino, head of the metro workers’ union, told the Milenio channel that engineers had already reported failures on different occasions.. “It could have been reckless, they didn’t take it seriously,” Espino added, stressing that unlike other metro lines, 12 is maintained by an outside company.

the Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard, present at the president’s press conference, referred to a “sad day for everyone”. “For my part, to put myself entirely at the disposal of the authorities (…). I understand that there are many motivations of a political nature”said Ebrard, considered along with Mayor Sheinbaum as a potential candidate for the 2024 presidential elections.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs assured that the government would do everything possible to determine as soon as possible what happened on line 12 of the metro. He recalled that the work had been definitively “delivered” in July 2013 after a “review” of seven months. “Beyond these and other data, you say He who acts with integrity should not fear anything, he who owes nothing, does not fear anything. But I am a subject, like everyone else, but no longer as a senior official and as the one who promoted the construction of the line, I am subject to what the authorities determine, ”he concluded.

The accident happened at around 10:20 p.m. local time between Olivos and Tezonco stations. In a video from the cameras of the Mexico City government surveillance system, we see how the elevated structure breaks as the train passes, which collapses from a height of about 20 meters, and two cars of the convoy remain in one ” V “” and hit with the ground. This is the second accident in the metro this year, after a fire in the control center in January left one dead and 29 intoxicated.