The tense calm on the outskirts of the emergency entrance, of the General Rubén Leñero Hospital, broke when a woman went out and met her family. He broke into tears and almost passed out when hugging his relatives. His son, Óscar Rubén Cortés, 58, died after suffering severe burns for the explosion recorded on Wednesday of a gas pipe on the La Concordia bridge, in Iztapalapa. It is one of the eight deceased confirmed so far by this tragedy. The rest of his family approached to clothe together. Between murmurs and Congoja, the rest of the people watched them, while waiting outside this health center in Mexico City, waiting for a medical part that confirms the health status of a loved one.
An old telephone booth, just a few meters away from the hospital entrance, serves as a reference point for people who hardly arrive or for passersby. On this small structure, lists are stuck where some of the more than 90 wounded that are counted so far and the health center where they are located. There are injuries ranging from six months of age to 54 years. On paper, almost next to each name, you can read the letters “SCQ”, an acronym to detail the burned body surface. There are cases that have injuries from 12 to 100% for burns.
A few meters from the emergency entrance, he leaves the Griselda Pérez hospital. He goes in search of flip flops, water, wet wipes and shampoo for his brother, Alfonso Pérez Gómez, 53. His brother told him that at the time of the incident, he was driving to Mexico City to pick up his partner. When the gas pipe exploded, the fire rose and hugged the bridge along with the cars. He says that the fire went up and down. One of those moments, when he saw the flames descend, left his car and ran asking for help. From the flames a combi came out towards him. He shouted for help. The vehicle stopped, the door opened and Alfonso climbed.
“The combi was chamuscó all. My brother was burned part of the face on the left side. They were going to put it in the operating room and they were going to pursue it, but stabilized. The eye became small. He has two children, his wife left him. He lives alone. He is a mason. He has no safe (doctor). He has no fixed work and is the only thing I ask for, he supports him, he motionless, ”says Griselda disconsolate.
Alfonso lives in Chalco and where the incident happened was his usual route. A route that was intersecting every day with that of Juan Carlos Bonilla. This 41 -year -old merchant, whom his brother Cristian Jiménez describes as a worker, who likes to play football and “a very good people”, returned from the Iztapalapa supply center. He headed home when the tragedy passed.
He was in his car with his son, Juan Ángel Bonilla, 20. Both appear in two videos that were viral in networks about the incident. Manuel Jiménez, Cristian’s brother, takes out his cell phone and teaches one of the recordings made by a person who was driving on the road. You can see how both escape a burst of 30 meters high, the same one that reaches one of them.
Posted by Juan Ito on Wednesday, September 10, 2025
“My nephew (Juan Ángel) is at the Balbuena hospital and is stable. My brother, no. The burns are very serious. He is in intensive therapy and they have not yet told us anything about his condition. He was aware after saving himself from the flames and marked his family. The ambulance came for him because he was injured and he was bound. I don’t know why,” says Juan Carlos with concern.
“They are not alone, much strength”
Different groups of families remained outside, sitting in a circle in plastic banks. Some exchanged information between them, were words of breath or some orientation to help with the recovery of their relatives. A small comfort sample, given the uncertainty of the Jiménez Bonilla family, came in the form of a plastic tray with stewed pump, rice and tortillas. “Eat, while being warm,” said a citizen protection agent who was distributing food for all the relatives of the victims waiting outside the hospital.
Despite the cloudy sky and a soft drizzle, people from different mayors of Mexico City turned to the immediate vicinity of the health center with some type of donation or care. From water bottles, a glass with hot coffee or sweet bread.
Stuck on the walls or on the side of the vehicles, the signs with legends such as “United we are stronger” were multiplied, “they are not alone, much strength” or the one held by Lizbeth Vargas, which said: “It is time of union. Encouragement. Have faith and courage. You are a very strong person. Iztacalco is with you.”
Lizbeth, a 22 -year -old nursing student, apart from her sign, also had a package with ham cakes that distributed family members. “Within everything we can help, we are going to do it. The news was shocking. I felt fear for my dad. I works driving Uber and was close to the explosion.”
Guillermo Barragán was out of the hospital waiting for his brother and his sister -in -law. He accompanied them while pilgrimage from Hospital in Hospital in search of their daughter, Ana Daniela Barragán, 19. He was on his way to university on Wednesday when the gas pipe exploded. His parents learned that he was one of those affected through a firefighter who found his almost calcined cell phone, but even in operation. He called the mother and informed him about what happened on the La Concordia bridge.
He waited like eight hours with his brother and sister -in -law to know if one of the two unknown wounded was his niece. The worst omens come true. “Since yesterday they did a DNA exam to a body and gave them the news that was positive. It’s my niece,” he wrote through a text message.
The Prosecutor’s Office continues with the expertise to know the causes of the incident, while government and business promises to compensate the damage are stacked on the table. Meanwhile, the calm for many families is still far.
UNAM offers psychological support to victimsAfter the worst explosion of the last decade in the capital, those affected could present psychological alterations or symptoms of acute stress ranging from denial to fear, anger, isolation, difficulty concentrating, sweating and even stomach pain.
“It is natural, even to some extent that the person in the period of the first 24 hours has these effects,” says psychologist Daniel Velasco, responsible for the Distance Psychological Care Program of the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
UNAM offers a help line for those affected that require attention to “recover calm and ability to make decisions.” The head of capital government, Clara Brugada, has also announced that psychological support will be given to the victims.
UNAM offers psychological support
After the worst explosion of the last decade in the capital, those affected could present psychological alterations or symptoms of acute stress ranging from denial to fear, anger, isolation, difficulty concentrating, sweating and even stomach pain.
“It is natural, even to some extent that the person in the period of the first 24 hours has these effects,” says psychologist Daniel Velasco, responsible for the Distance Psychological Care Program of the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
UNAM offers a help line for those affected that require attention to “recover calm and ability to make decisions.” The head of capital government, Clara Brugada, has also announced that psychological support will be given to the victims.
With information from Claudia Guerra.
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