Mexico tragedy: 13 killed, over 90 injured as Interoceanic Train derails
PTC News Desk: At least 13 people died and over 100 injured after a train derailed in Mexico's south-western Oaxaca region.
The train, travelling between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers along with nine crew members. According to the navy, 98 people were injured in the accident, with 36 of them receiving treatment in hospitals.
Officials said the train derailed while negotiating a curve near the town of Nizanda. Mexico’s Attorney General confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the incident. President Claudia Sheinbaum said five of the injured passengers were in serious condition and added that senior officials, including the Secretary of the Navy, were heading to the crash site.
Images from the scene showed rescue teams assisting passengers as they disembarked from the train, which had come off the tracks and was partially leaning over the edge of a cliff.
The Interoceanic train, which links the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast, consisted of two locomotives and four passenger coaches, the navy said. Mexico’s railway network is operated by the navy. Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz expressed “deep regret” over the accident and said state authorities were working closely with federal agencies to support those affected.
The Interoceanic rail corridor was inaugurated two years ago as part of an effort led by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to stimulate economic growth in the region. Aimed at modernising rail connectivity across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, the project is part of a broader government plan to transform the area into a key trade corridor through expanded ports, railways and industrial infrastructure.
The train service also forms part of a wider push to boost passenger and freight rail in southern Mexico and drive regional economic development.
- With inputs from agencies
