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11:02 GMT, Tuesday, 1 July 2008 12:02 UK

More charges over Mexico stampede

Victims' shoes outside the News Divine nightclub

The owner of a Mexican nightclub where 12 people died in a stampede during a police raid is to be charged with manslaughter, prosecutors have said.

Alfredo Maya Ortiz is alleged to have allowed the club to operate with a locked emergency exit, they say.

He had already been charged with selling alcohol to under-age drinkers.

The police operation at the News Divine nightclub in Mexico City last month led to panic and a stampede in which nine customers and three policemen died.

The police chief who led the raid, Cdr Guillermo Zayas, was charged on Thursday with 12 counts of murder.

He allegedly failed to give orders for people to be let out of the club because police vans were full.

Police raided the club to investigate claims of under-age drinking and drug sales.

Police blamed the club owner for the tragedy, saying he had announced that officers were there to arrest everybody.

But a video released by the city's public security department appears to show police blocking one of the main exits.



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Related to this story:
Charges over Mexico club stampede (26 Jun 08 |  Americas )
Mexico police fired over stampede (25 Jun 08 |  Americas )
Police blamed for Mexico stampede (21 Jun 08 |  Americas )
Deadly stampede at Mexico disco (21 Jun 08 |  Americas )
Mexico club blaze kills 19 (20 Oct 00 |  Americas )


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