Mexico’s 3-0 World Cup victory over Czechia was followed by chaotic and violent scenes in Cabo San Lucas, where a car drove into a crowd of celebrating supporters.
The incident happened late Wednesday night on Lázaro Cárdenas Boulevard, one of the busiest areas of the popular tourist resort in Baja California Sur.
What began as a night of national celebration quickly turned into a scene of panic, with fans injured on the street and the driver later pulled from the vehicle and attacked.
Seventeen people treated
According to Reuters, Los Cabos city hall said 17 people received medical treatment after the car rammed into the crowd, including the driver, who was initially arrested.
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Videos verified by Reuters showed a black car surrounded by supporters wearing Mexico shirts before it accelerated into the crowd, throwing people into the air and then crashing into bollards.
Other footage showed people pulling someone from the vehicle and attacking them, while several injured people could be seen lying on the ground.
Los Cabos’ acting mayor, José Manuel Larumbe, expressed support for those affected after the incident.
“I would like to express our deepest solidarity with the people affected and their families following the unfortunate events that occurred tonight,” he said, according to Reuters.
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Driver later died in hospital
According to El País, the driver was Roberto Arellano, who died after spending six days in hospital in critical condition.
The Spanish newspaper reported that Arellano was travelling through the area with his family when the car was surrounded by crowds before striking pedestrians and crashing.
El País also reported that the incident left 17 people injured, with four still under medical observation in the latest official update.
Authorities have opened an investigation into both the crash and the attack on the driver after he was dragged from the vehicle.
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Celebration turns into investigation
According to Digi24, the incident happened after Mexico’s 3-0 win over Czechia, a result that brought large numbers of fans onto the streets.
Cabo San Lucas is one of Mexico’s best-known tourist destinations, but the celebrations created a volatile mix of pedestrians, vehicles and crowded streets.
Local officials have since faced questions over how traffic was allowed to continue through such a dense gathering of supporters.
For Mexico, the win on the pitch was meant to be another step in a historic World Cup campaign. In Cabo San Lucas, however, the night will now be remembered for the injuries, violence and death that followed the celebrations.
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