MEXICO CITY (AP) — Police on Saturday were investigating why youths as young as 13 were in a Mexico City nightclub where a stampede killed 12 people.
Nine nightclub customers and three police officers died in the Friday stampede, which started when police showed up to check reports of drugs and alcohol being sold to minors. Some of the dead were between 14 and 16 years old, city prosecutors said. One female victim was 13.
"Negligence and confusion caused the deaths of 12 people from asphyxia and crushing at a nightclub where hundreds of adolescents and youths paid 30 pesos (US$3) to drink alcohol," declared a front-page story Saturday in the newspaper El Universal.
Police Chief Joel Ortega said officers went to the News Divine club in the working-class district of Nueva Atzacoalco in the early evening to check reports of drug and alcohol violations.
Ortega told the Televisa television network that the club's owner announced to the crowd that the officers were there to arrest them, causing a stampede. He denied earlier media reports that officers threw tear gas inside the club, and also said no shots were fired.
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At a news conference Friday, Ortega said about 500 young people — more than the club's capacity — were there to celebrate the end of the school year and many more were waiting in line to get in.
Clubs in Mexico often host afternoon "tardeada" parties for clubbers as young as 16, though only patrons 18 and up are allowed to drink alcohol.
Ortega said the venue had a single entrance plus an emergency exit, which was obstructed by cases of beer.
"Many of the people gathered at the club's emergency exit, but it was too small and it was there that people died of asphyxia," Ortega told Televisa.
Television images showed glittery high-heel shoes and T-shirts strewn over the dance floor. Bodies covered with white sheets lay by the club's entrance.
Ortega said the club was closed down last year due to several safety and other violations, but the owner won an injunction and reopened it.
Police detained 39 people including the owner, he said.
Dozens of riot police were sent to control a crowd of sobbing relatives and friends that gathered at the scene.
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12 dead in Mexico City nightclub stampede - USATODAY.com
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So once in a while the entire US is outraged at some wrong guy getting shot in a confusing incident, or the usual criminal getting beatdown and getting bruises for a week. But how about THIS fuckup? 12 deaths? What the hell are these cops thinking when they see that the situation is out of control? No wonder why nobody likes cops in Mexico.
