Ten dead as Mexico church roof collapses

At least 10 people, including three children, were killed when the roof of a church collapsed in northern Mexico, BBC reports.

The collapse happened on Sunday afternoon local time as around 100 people were attending a baptism at Santa Cruz church in Ciudad Madero.

Sixty people were injured, at least two of them seriously, and dozens were trapped underneath the rubble.

Local residents rushed to the building with shovels and pickaxes to try to free those trapped. Search and rescue teams have since arrived at the scene and two cranes are on site to remove the debris.

The governor of Tamaulipas has said that all of those missing have been accounted for. Rescue workers used thermal imaging cameras to ensure no one remained under the rubble.

It is not yet clear what may have caused the collapse but the mayor of Ciudad Madero said it was probably due to "structural failures".

Ángel Vargas, the priest who was celebrating the baptisms when the collapse occurred said that a day of celebration had turned into a tragedy.

"They came to search for heaven for the little ones and found eternity. I want the families to find peace. All of this is unfathomable."

Among those who died was reportedly a toddler and a couple with their eight-year-old son, Mexican newspaper Milenio reported.

/KN/