In a devastating incident, the roof of Santa Cruz church in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas state, Mexico, suddenly caved in during Sunday Mass baptisms. With around 100 attendees present, the collapse resulted in 11 tragic deaths and left 60 injured, some severely.
Among the casualties were three minors and seven adults. A young woman, only 18 years old, succumbed to her injuries a day after the disaster. Several victims are still hospitalized, with at least one in a serious condition.
Frantically working against the clock, rescue teams, equipped with trained dogs and thermal imaging cameras, combed through the debris.
Fortunately, by Monday, it was confirmed that there were no more individuals trapped beneath the wreckage. Luis Gerardo González de la Fuente, the state coordinator for civil protection, assured that the cause of the roof’s collapse was not intentional.
Father Ángel Vargas, presiding over the baptisms, voiced his heartbreak: “To the affected families, my blessing in the love of Christ… we are brothers in grief.” Meanwhile, the Mexican Bishops’ Conference called on the Catholic community to “pray an Our Father and a Hail Mary for our brothers in Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas.”
Investigators are currently probing into the cause of this sudden structural failure, especially since the church, standing for over 50 years, displayed no signs of defect prior.
Pray for the victims!
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