MEXICO CITY, Jan 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Another safety scare hit the Mexico City metro on Monday, when around 20 people were treated for smoke inhalation following a short circuit, officials said.
The incident came around two weeks after two trains collided in a tunnel, killing one person, injuring dozens and prompting the deployment of the National Guard in the subway.
Monday’s short circuit caused “a very significant amount of smoke,” but the incipient fire was quickly extinguished, metro system director Guillermo Calderon said.
None of the roughly 20 people treated for smoke inhalation were in a serious condition, officials said.
A series of incidents have been reported in the metro in recent weeks, shaking public confidence in a transport system used by millions of people in the congested megacity.
The Jan 7 crash, in which an 18-year-old student died, was the most serious accident since a section of elevated track collapsed in May 2021, killing 26 people and injuring dozens.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, seen as a leading candidate to replace President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador next year, has rejected her critics’ claims that the incidents are the result of budget cuts.
MEANWHILE, the United States on Monday issued a security alert to its citizens traveling to Mexico following confrontations between taxi and Uber drivers in one of the country’s top beachside resorts.
Tensions have flared after a court ruled this month that Uber drivers could work legally in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo, home to Cancun and other popular Caribbean destinations.
On Monday taxi drivers blocked roads in Cancun, which welcomes 30 million tourists a year, disrupting trips to the airport.
Ride-hailing apps like Uber “generally offer another safe alternative to taxis,” the security alert issued by the US embassy in Mexico City said.
However, “past disputes between these services and local taxi unions have occasionally turned violent, resulting in injuries to US citizens in some instances,” it added.
Cancun mayor Ana Patricia Peralta said on social media that she would not allow the “destination’s image and personal security to be violated by a few.”
“Let’s put confrontations aside and take care of our people, the people of Cancun and our visitors who place their trust in us,” she said.
Taxi driver unions, which have 12,000 members in Cancun, have complained of unfair competition from Uber.
The Jan 11 court ruling allows the ride-hailing app to operate without a concession required by transport companies in Quintana Roo.
Several Uber drivers have accused taxi drivers of intercepting them and forcing passengers to get out of the vehicles.
Some even allege they were beaten, received death threats or had stones thrown at their cars. — NNN-AGENCIES
