Sawt Falasteen - Mexico deploys National Guard in metro after accidents

Safety concerns have shaken public confidence in a transport system used by millions of people in the congested megacity.

From Thursday, around 6,000 members of the National Guard will be present in the metro, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters.

The move comes after two metro trains collided in a tunnel Saturday, killing a young woman and injuring dozens.

It was the most serious incident since a section of elevated track collapsed in May 2021, killing 26 people and injuring dozens.

Other less serious but unusual incidents, including problems with wheels, have been reported in recent months, Sheinbaum said.

She denied they were the result of budget cuts, as alleged by critics of the mayor, who is seen as a leading candidate to replace President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador next year.

Lopez Obrador has been accused by his opponents of overseeing the "militarization" of Mexico by giving increased responsibility to the armed forces.

Commenting on the National Guard deployment in the metro, Lopez Obrador said: "If they call that militarization or whatever they call it, we assume responsibility."

C.AbuSway--SF-PST