“Likely Caused by a Structural Failure”: A Church Roof Collapses During Mass in Mexico, Killing at Least 10

• The concrete roof of Santa Cruz church in Ciudad Madero collapsed during Sunday Mass
• At least 10 people died and about 60 were injured; around 100 were inside
• Authorities said the collapse was likely caused by structural failure, not an explosion
• The bishop asked for wood to shore up the roof during the rescue

The roof of a church in northern Mexico collapsed during Sunday Mass, killing at least 10 people and injuring about 60, the Associated Press reported in a story carried by the Jamaica Observer.

The collapse happened at Santa Cruz church in Ciudad Madero, on the Gulf coast near Tampico, as parishioners were receiving communion. Tamaulipas state police said about 100 people were inside, and roughly 30 were thought to have been trapped under the rubble. The state security spokesman’s office described the cause as “likely being caused by a structural failure”. Of the 60 injured, 23 remained in hospital, two in critical condition. Three of the dead were children, possibly because baptisms had been scheduled that day.

Bishop José Armando Alvarez of the Diocese of Tampico said: “We lament the painful loss of people who were there celebrating the baptism of their children.” He asked for donations of wood to shore up the roof while rescuers worked. The National Guard, state police, civil defence and the Red Cross took part in the rescue, crawling under roof slabs with search dogs. The Mexican Council of Bishops said it joined “in prayer at the tragic loss of life”.

Photographs showed a concrete and brick building with sections of roof collapsed almost to the ground. Security camera footage from a block away showed the gabled roof falling straight down, with no walls blown outward and no sign of an explosion. The relatively thin poured-concrete roof came to rest on pews in places, which may have created air pockets for survivors. Rescuers abandoned an early attempt to lift sections with a crane because the crumbling concrete could endanger people underneath.

Many Jamaican churches have poured-concrete roofs, often extended or added in stages as money allowed. A disaster like Ciudad Madero is a reminder that a roof must be designed, built and maintained by qualified people. Additions, water leaks, corroded steel and heavy equipment mounted on top all add strain. Trustees should have a structural engineer inspect any concrete roof that is old, has been altered or shows cracks or sagging, especially before large services. For congregations raising funds for extensions, getting approved plans and proper supervision is money well spent.