Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20210505

A29
world news Diaranson 5 Mei 2021

Mexico City metro overpass collapses onto road; 23 dead

MEXICO CITY (AP) — An el- station left one passenger dead and
evated section of the Mexico injured 41 people. In 2015, a train
City metro collapsed and sent that did not stop on time crashed into
the train plunging toward a busy another at the Oceania station, injur-
boulevard late Monday, killing ing 12.
at least 23 people and injuring at
least 79, city officials said. Hundreds of police officers and fire-
fighters cordoned off the scene over-
Rescuers found four bodies trapped night as desperate friends and rela-
inside a rail car that was dangling tives of people believed to be on the
from the overpass but were unable to train gathered outside the security
remove them. It was not clear if those perimeter. Despite the fact that the
dead were included among the 23. A coronavirus situation remains serious
crane was brought in Tuesday to low- in Mexico City, they crowded togeth-
er the car down. er as they waited for news.
Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said one Adrián Loa Martínez, 46, said that his
of the concrete beams collapsed as a mother called him to tell him that his
subway train passed over it in one of half-brother and sister-in-law were
the deadliest episodes in the history driving when the overpass collapsed
of the city's subway system, which is and that a beam fell onto their car.
among the busiest in the world.
He said that his sister-in-law was sent
Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary to a hospital, but that his half-brother
Marcelo Ebrard called the collapse José Juan Galindo was crushed and
"the most terrible accident we have he feared he was dead. "He is down
ever had in mass transportation." Eb- there now," he told journalists point-
rard was Mexico City's mayor from ing toward the site.
2006 to 2012, when the line in ques-
tion was built, and the collapse could Gisela Rioja Castro, 43, was looking
represent a major blow for him. for her husband, 42-year-old Miguel
Ángel Espinoza. She said that her
"The cause of the collapse of the husband always takes that train after
beam must be established through finishing work at a store, but he never
an expert investigation," Sheinbaum got home and had stopped answering
said. his phone. When she heard what hap-
pened, she immediately feared the
Earlier she said someone had been worst but has gotten no information
pulled alive from a car that was from the authorities.
trapped on the road below. She said
77 of the injured were hospitalized. "Nobody knows anything," she said.
She also said children were among
the dead. The collapse occurred on the new-
est of the Mexico City subway's lines, presidential candidate in 2024 elec- On Tuesday, Ebrard appeared at Pres-
The overpass was about 5 meters (16 Line 12, which stretches far into the tions. The line had to be partly closed ident Andrés Manuel López Obra-
feet) above the road in the borough city's south side. Like many of the in 2013 so tracks could be repaired. dor's daily news conference, saying,
of Tlahuac, but the train ran above a city's dozen subway lines, it runs un- "I share the indignation that exists."
concrete median strip, which appar- derground through more central ar- Ebrard wrote on Twitter: "What hap-
ently lessened the casualties among eas of the city of 9 million, but then pened today on the Metro is a terrible It was not clear whether a 7.1-magni-
motorists on the road below. runs on elevated concrete structures tragedy." tude earthquake in 2017 could have
on the city's outskirts. affected the subway line. There were
The Mexico City Metro — which "Of course, the causes should be reports that cracks had appeared in
is among the world's cheapest with Allegations about poor design and investigated and those responsible the base of at least one of the col-
tickets costing about 25 cents —has construction on the subway line should be identified," he wrote. "I re- umns that support the elevated track
had at least two serious accidents emerged soon after the Ebrard left of- peat that I am entirely at the dispo- following that quake.
since its inauguration half a century fice as mayor. Ebrard leads Mexico's sition of authorities to contribute in
ago. In March of last year, a collision efforts to obtain coronavirus vaccines whatever way is necessary." The line was closed Tuesday, and
between two trains at the Tacubaya and has been considered a potential hundreds of buses were called in.

Egypt buying 30 more Rafale fighter jets from France

PARIS (AP) — Egypt is (dollar) sales have followed, i
buying another 30 Rafale Egypt's first purchase of 24 ncluding to India and Greece.
fighter jets from France, Rafales in 2015, valued then
building up its fleet of the at 5.2 billion euros ($5.93 bil- Dassault said the new order is
advanced warplane to 54, lion), made it the first over- proof of an "unfailing bond"
second only to the French seas buyer of France's delta- between Egypt and the man-
air force. winged, multi-role but hard ufacturer.
to sell warplane.
Both countries confirmed The French Defense Minis-
the deal separately on Tues- Before Egypt's purchase, try said the deal would create
day. The Egyptian military Dassault Aviation's fighter the equivalent of 7,000 jobs
said the purchase would had been on the market for in France for three years and
be financed with a 10-year years, and in service for the "further strengthens the stra-
French loan. The value of the French air force since 2006. tegic and military partnership
deal wasn't given. Other multi-billion euro between France and Egypt."