At least 13 people have died and almost 100 others were injured after a passenger train derailed in southern Mexico’s Oaxaca region, authorities have confirmed.
The Mexican Navy said the train, which was travelling between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members when the accident occurred near the town of Nizanda.
According to the Navy, 98 people sustained injuries, while 36 of them are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.
The train reportedly derailed while navigating a bend along the track, causing several coaches to fall off the rails and tilt dangerously near a cliff.
Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, said five of the injured passengers were in critical condition.
“Five of those injured are in a serious condition,” Sheinbaum said, adding that senior government officials had been deployed to the scene.
She also disclosed that top officials, including the Secretary of the Navy, were travelling to the crash site to oversee rescue efforts and investigations.
Images and videos from the scene showed emergency responders assisting stranded passengers, while some of the injured were carried out of the damaged carriages.
Confirming the development, Mexico’s Attorney General said a full investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the derailment.
The Interoceanic train, operated by the Mexican Navy, connects the Pacific port city of Salina Cruz to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast. Officials said the train consisted of two locomotives and four passenger coaches.
Reacting to the incident, Oaxaca State Governor, Salomón Jara Cruz, expressed sadness over the tragedy and assured victims of government support.
“We deeply regret this accident, and state authorities are working closely with federal agencies to assist all those affected,” he said.
The Interoceanic rail line was inaugurated two years ago as part of a major government project aimed at boosting economic activity in southern Mexico.
The railway is designed to modernise transport across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and serve as a strategic trade corridor, linking ports, railways and industrial hubs across the region.
The train service is also part of Mexico’s broader plan to expand passenger and freight rail transport while stimulating economic growth in the country’s southern states.
