Guatemala City, Sep 19.- Guatemala began three days of national mourning for the recent tragedy that occurred in the department of Quetzaltenango (Xela), where nine people on September 15th in a concert on the occasion of the national holidays.
President Alejandro Giammattei tweeted that he signed the decree before leaving for the United States to participate in the United Nations General Assembly this week.
“I grieve for the irreparable loss of life and I sympathize with the families of the victims. I pray to God for their eternal rest,” wrote the president.
The president specified that the Executive maintains its ‘firm willingness to collaborate in the investigation to clarify and deduce responsibilities in order to avoid tragedies in the future. This cannot happen again,’ he said.
According to the report of the National Institute of Forensic Sciences, the victims died of suffocation caused by chest compression after the crowd stampeded towards the exit just after the end of the performance of the bands that were invited to the traditional Xelafer fair. (PL)