At least three people died during World Cup celebrations in Mexico City after thousands of soccer fans filled the streets overnight to celebrate their national team’s victory over Ecuador, the authorities in the capital city said Wednesday.
A man, age 44, and two women, ages 19 and 48, were found unconscious in the Colonía Juarez neighborhood near the city center, according to statements from Mexico City’s public health secretary. They were later found to have died of asphyxiation, officials said.
According to local media reports, a series of celebratory fireworks after the game prompted a brief panic, causing people to run and fall in crowded side streets.
Emergency responders performed CPR on all three of the victims, who were later pronounced dead at area hospitals, the authorities said.
The victims were found in side streets around the Angel of Independence monument on the Paseo de la Reforma, an area where thousands of fans gathered after Mexico defeated Ecuador to reach the round of 16 in the World Cup soccer tournament.
Videos and photos from the scene in Mexico City showed throngs of people in the streets surrounding the monument, which became the center of raucous celebrations in the city.
