President Biden offered U.S. support to Mexico’s government on Wednesday after the collapse of a rail overpass killed dozens in Mexico City.
A statement from the White House sent Wednesday afternoon professed the president’s “deepest condolences to all those who lost a loved one” and best wishes to those 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,” the White House statement continued.
NBC News reported that the deadly collapse occurred around 10:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, when a subway train traveling in the southeastern part of the city rode over a rail overpass. The city’s mayor blamed the collapse on a support beam that given way.
At least 24 people including children were killed and more than 60 others were taken to nearby hospitals. At least seven were in critical condition.
“If there had been any sinking point or anything like that, it would have been reported immediately,” said Claudia Sheinbaum, the city’s mayor, according to NBC. “What happened here was a beam that fell in the area. … The cause of that fall is what we’re trying to find out.”
“We need experts from the 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 continued.