At least 13 people died, and 98 were injured after a passenger train derailed in southern Mexico, Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara’s office confirmed in a statement. The accident also stopped traffic along a key rail line that connects the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico. The accident happened on Sunday in Oaxaca state, officials said. Around 250 people were on board, including nine crew members and 241 passengers. 

Train accident in Southern Mexico

The Interoceanic Train, which runs between the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, went off the tracks as it passed a curve near the town of Nizanda, AP reported. Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said in a message on the social media platform X that several government agencies immediately reached the scene to help the injured passengers.

The Mexican Navy confirmed that 13 people lost their lives in the derailment. Nearly 100 passengers were hurt, and 36 of them were taken to hospitals for treatment. One passenger, who recorded a video right after the derailment, said the train seemed to be moving very fast. “We don’t know if it lost its brakes. A lot of people were lying on the ground. We’re okay, a little banged up, but we’re okay,” the passenger said in the video.

ALSO READ

Photos and videos from the accident showed several train compartments had fallen down a steep slope, while others had overturned. 

Government Response

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shared on social media, “The Secretariat of the Navy has informed me that in the Interoceanic Train accident, unfortunately, 13 people died; 98 are injured, five of them seriously.”

“We deeply regret the railway accident that occurred near Nizanda in the municipality of Asunción Ixtaltepec, where 250 people were traveling and, to date, 139 are out of danger, 98 injured, and 36 are receiving medical attention; and 13 people lost their lives. From the State Government, we express our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident. All our support and commitment to the families who were traveling today on the Interoceanic Train. We send our deepest sympathies to their families,” Governor’s office said in a statement on X.

ALSO READ

The Mexican Navy said it had sent 360 naval personnel, along with air and ground ambulances, and a tactical drone to help with rescue operations, medical care, and recovery efforts. Authorities from both state and federal agencies are still investigating what caused the derailment.

About the interoceanic train

The Interoceanic Train started its first journey in 2023, launched by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. It is part of a bigger plan to improve train travel and develop infrastructure in southern Mexico along the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The train connects ports on the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. It runs between the port of Salina Cruz on the Pacific Ocean to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf side, and covers about 180 miles (290 kilometres). This route is part of a government plan to turn the isthmus into a strategic corridor for international trade.