12 June 2015, News Wires – Fifty-eight people were reported injured and four hospitalised but stable during a powerful Thursday night storm in Guadalajara, Mexico, when massive tents collapsed during a social event of a major industry conference. JOSE MANUEL BARRADAS/TWITTER
Attendees of the Mexico Petroleum Congress, including an Upstream reporter, were invited to a “Tapatia Night” event held in the tents outside the Telmex auditorium.
Rain poured down and winds blustered until about an hour into the event, when two of the structures collapsed amid the severe weather, sending frightened and soaked delegates running into the night.
Shortly before 10 pm local time, the Telmex auditorium, citing authorities, said on its Twitter account that 58 people had been injured and were being attended to by nearby hospitals and medical services.
Delegates returning to their hotels near the Guadalajara expo faced a harrowing drive back across town, with bumper-to-bumper traffic through streets flooded in some places with a foot or more of water.
Others were stuck at the auditorium as they waited for transportation, according to other social media posts.
The CMP is considered the top oil and gas industry event in Mexico, and this year attracted some 8000 delegates from 12 countries.
– Upstream
