TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Teens, Officers Die In Club Stampede

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 22, 2008

MEXICO CITY - Mexico City's mayor expressed outrage Saturday that youths as young as 13 were among the dozen people killed in a nightclub stampede and said the officials involved in the police raid that sparked the crush had been suspended.

Police went to News Divine to check reports of underage drinking and drugs in the club in a working-class Mexico City neighborhood Friday evening, causing hundreds of customers to try to flee the club.

About 500 young people - more than the club's capacity - had packed the bar to celebrate the end of the school year, according to police. Witnesses and police said the only emergency exit was blocked, and desperate customers tried to break out windows to escape the crush.

"The city is indignant," Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said at a news conference. "What we saw yesterday was ethically unacceptable."
City prosecutors said three teens of ages 13, 14 and 16 were among the nine students and employees who died. Three police officers also died at the club in Mexico City's Nueva Atzacoalco district. A dozen people were injured in the stampede, three seriously, city prosecutor Rodolfo Felix Cardenas said.

City officials said all of the public servants directly involved in the raid have been suspended, including the police director who led the action.

Julieta Coronel Mejia, whose two nieces were injured, said police entered the club and began pushing people, possibly helping spark the stampede.

Ebrard acknowledged that there were "serious errors" in the raid and apparent irregularities in the operation of the bar.

"This place should not have been operating," he said.

Juan Carlos Maya, a club employee and the brother of owner Alfredo Maya, acknowledged that alcohol was being served but said patrons were asked for identification at the bar. The legal drinking age in Mexico City is 18.

The club was holding one of the afternoon "tardeada" parties that are popular among clubbers as young as 16, though only patrons 18 and older are allowed to drink alcohol.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT