Three people die in Mexico World Cup celebrations as fans crowd streets

Three people died from suffocation as thousands of fans crowded Mexico City streets during World Cup celebrations, the capital's health secretariat said in the early hours of Wednesday.

The deaths occurred near the Angel of Independence landmark, where thousands of football fans had gathered to celebrate Mexico's 2-0 victory over Ecuador in the round of 32.

Emergency teams tended to three unconscious people at different locations around Paseo de la Reforma, authorities said. The capital's most emblematic boulevard and the streets around it had been closed to traffic and set up for the football celebrations.

"After receiving advanced resuscitation efforts, the deaths of a 44-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman from suffocation have been confirmed," the health authority initially said on social media.

The third fatality was a 48-year-old woman who was treated on a nearby street after suffering asphyxiation and died after being taken to hospital, the secretariat added in a later post.

Mayor Clara Brugada expressed her condolences to the families of the victims on X and urged everyone to "always celebrate with responsibility, care, and empathy".

Mexicans took to the streets to celebrate after the national team ended a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout victory at the Azteca Stadium in the capital, with the win against Ecuador sending the co-hosts into the last 16.

The fans' euphoria, amid cheering and chants, contrasted with images shared on social media of emergency responders and paramedics tending to distressed people lying on the ground in nearby streets.

With more than 20 million residents, Mexico City's metropolitan area is one of the most populous on the planet and is accustomed to large celebrations and huge crowds of people.