SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 19 April 2024, Friday |

Mexico City boosts funds for families of train collapse victims

Officials in Mexico City announced on Saturday that financial assistance for the relatives of those killed when a metro train line crashed onto a popular street, totaling over 2 million pesos ($101,225).

Officials said during a press conference that the relatives of the 26 persons killed in the May 3 incident will get an extra million pesos in compensation, bringing the total to 1,920,000 pesos, and that the money would be delivered next week.

On May 8, Mexico City announced that victims’ families would receive an initial payment of 650,000 pesos from the Metro train line. Officials say it was later upped to 870,000 pesos before the fresh rise on Saturday. An additional 50,000 pesos from the city was also part of the compensation.

“We will send the notification and in the course of this week we will begin to deliver the amount of this additional million pesos,” said Armando Ocampo of Mexico City’s executive commission for the attention to victims.

On May 3, an overpass on the metro’s Line 12 in southern Mexico City collapsed, prompting an independent investigation. According to preliminary findings, the collapse was caused by a structural flaw.

Line 12 was developed by a consortium consisting of Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim’s Grupo Carso, Mexico’s Grupo ICA, and Alstom of France.

Slim stated that when the line first opened last week, there were no issues. After meeting with Slim, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador claimed the business billionaire will cover the whole cost of restoring the collapsed piece at no expense to the government.

    Source:
  • Reuters