Biden Offers Condolences, Help in Wake of Mexico City Accident
President Joe Biden has offered condolences and pledged U.S. assistance following the collapse of a rail overpass in Mexico City that left at least 24 dead.
"We send our deepest condolences to all those who lost a loved one and offer our best wishes for the recovery of all those who were injured. As neighbors and partners, our nations are closely linked, and the United States is ready to assist Mexico as it rebuilds from this tragedy,” said Biden in a statement released Wednesday by the White House.
More than 60 people were injured and at least 24 died when the Mexico City subway train overpass collapsed Monday night onto a busy road, with hanging carriages crushing cars below it.
The accident occurred on Line 12 near the Olivos station in the southeast of the city about 10:30 p.m. local time.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said at the scene that a “support beam gave way” just as the train passed over it.
Sheinbaum confirmed Tuesday that federal justice experts would be assisting the city with an investigation to "discover exactly what happened and what the causes" were.
"We need experts from federal justice as well as an external and unbiased team to conduct the investigation and all the reports that need to be done and get to the truth,” she said.
She added that a “Norwegian company will be in charge of the external investigation.”
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said at his regular news conference Tuesday that the investigation should be done quickly and that nothing would be hidden from the Mexican people.
The Metro 12 line that runs over the now-collapsed overpass was built almost a decade ago.