Three people suffocate in crowd celebrating Mexico's World Cup round of 16 advancement

Three people died of suffocation as large crowds gathered at a celebration held in the capital after Mexico confirmed its advancement to the World Cup round of 16.

According to Reuters on the 1st (local time), Mexico City health authorities announced that three people died of suffocation while a large number of citizens gathered near the 'Angel Independence Monument', a landmark in the city, early in the morning.

Health authorities announced on social media that "despite CPR, the deaths of a 44-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman who collapsed from asphyxiation were confirmed." It was further revealed that a 48-year-old woman who received first aid on a nearby street due to symptoms of suffocation was taken to the hospital but died.

At that time, a large number of citizens gathered near the event venue to celebrate Mexico's victory in the World Cup finals for the first time in 40 years by beating Ecuador 2-0 in the round of 32 of the North and Central America World Cup.

The city government explained that more than 1 million people gathered around the event venue at the time.

While cheers and cheering slogans continued on the streets, images of paramedics treating citizens who had collapsed on nearby roads spread through social media.

Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada expressed condolences to the victims' families through X and asked them to "always celebrate with responsibility, consideration, and empathy."