In brief
At least 13 individuals died and almost 100 were injured following a train derailment in Oaxaca, Mexico, as it navigated a bend near Nizanda. The Interoceanic train, which serves as a vital link between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers at the time of the accident. The tragedy has drawn attention to the railway's significance for regional economic development and has led to investigations by Mexican authorities.
At least 13 people died and almost 100 were injured in a train derailment in Mexico's south-eastern Oaxaca region, the Mexican navy reported. The train, which was traveling between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers along with nine crew members.
A total of 98 individuals were reported injured, with 36 requiring hospital treatment. The train derailed while rounding a bend near the town of Nizanda, prompting an official investigation confirmed by Mexico's Attorney General.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that five of the injured were in serious condition and stated that high-level officials, including the secretary of the navy, were en route to the crash site.
Recovery efforts included rescue workers assisting passengers who had managed to alight from the train, which had partially tilted off the side of a cliff after falling from the tracks.
The Interoceanic train, connecting the Pacific port of Salina Cruz to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast, consists of two locomotives and four passenger cars. This train service is managed by Mexico's navy.
The governor of Oaxaca, Salomón Jara Cruz, expressed his profound regret over the accident, emphasizing that state authorities were working closely with federal agencies to assist those affected. The Interoceanic rail link was inaugurated two years ago as part of an initiative aimed at boosting the region's economy under the leadership of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
This project was designed to modernize transportation across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, transforming it into a strategic trade corridor by expanding the region's ports, railways, and industrial infrastructure. The accident brings to light the ongoing efforts to develop passenger and freight rail networks to stimulate economic growth in southern Mexico.
