At least 10 dead in Mexican nightclub raid

MEXICO CITY – Panicked youths rushed for the exits during a police raid on a Mexico City nightclub on Friday, leaving at least 10 people dead in the crush of bodies, the capital’s police chief said.

Chief Joel Ortega said three police officers and seven youths, at least two of them minors, were killed. At least 13 others were injured.

Police went to the News Divine club in northeastern Mexico City in the early evening to check reports of drugs and alcohol being sold to minors. Ortega told the Televisa network the club’s owner announced to the crowd that the officers were there to arrest them, causing a stampede.

At a news conference later 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. Earlier he told Televisa that 1,000 people were at the club.

Ortega said the venue had a single entrance plus an emergency exit, which was obstructed by cases of beer.

“Much of the people concentrated at the club’s emergency exit, but it was too small and it was there that people died of asphyxia,” Ortega said.

Ortega said the club was closed down last year due to several safety and other violations, but the owner got an injunction and reopened the place.