13 killed, 98 injured after passenger train derails in Mexico

Tragedy struck southern Mexico on Sunday as a passenger train coursing across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec derailed dramatically on a bridge near the town of Nizanda, claiming at least 13 lives and leaving 98 others injured.

The Interoceanic Train, carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members, was travelling from the Pacific port of Salina Cruz to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast when disaster unfolded. As the train rounded a bend in the rugged terrain of Oaxaca, several of its carriages lurched violently off the tracks, partially toppling and tilting down the edge of a cliff in a harrowing scene.

According to the secretariat of the Navy, five of the injured remain in serious condition. Most passengers were rushed to hospitals run by the Mexican Social Security Institute in Matías Romero and Salina Cruz, while others received treatment at IMSS-Wellbeing facilities in Juchitán and Ixtepec.

President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed the grim toll in a post on X, expressing sorrow over the loss of life and detailing the emergency response. She said she had directed senior officials, including the Secretary of the Navy and the Deputy Secretary of Human Rights, to travel immediately to the site to personally attend to the victims’ families, with the Secretary of the Interior coordinating relief efforts nationwide. She also acknowledged the support extended by Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz and his administration.

Rescue workers worked through the aftermath, guiding shaken passengers away from the wreckage as local and federal authorities mobilised medical teams and relief supplies. Governor Jara Cruz voiced “deep regret” over the tragedy, assuring full cooperation with federal agencies to support those affected.

Mexico’s Attorney General has launched an investigation to determine what caused the derailment. The Interoceanic rail corridor, inaugurated two years ago under former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, was envisioned as a strategic artery to boost trade, passenger travel and regional development across southern Mexico.

As authorities continue to monitor the situation, the focus remains on caring for the injured and supporting grieving families. The accident casts a sombre shadow over a flagship infrastructure project and serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for uncompromising safety standards along this vital rail route through Oaxaca’s challenging landscape.

With IANS inputs