Thirteen people were killed and nearly 100 others injured after a passenger train derailed in southern Mexico on Sunday, Dec. 28, officials said.
Mexico’s Navy said the Interoceanic train — carrying about 250 passengers, including nine crew members — left the tracks earlier in the day in Oaxaca state. The derailment happened near the town of Nizanda, along the route’s main line between Veracruz and the port city of Salina Cruz.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement on X that 13 people died and 98 were hurt, including five who were reported to be in serious condition. The Navy said 36 people were transported to local hospitals, while others suffered minor injuries.
Rescue teams were also working to assist passengers who fell down a 22-foot slope near the crash site, the Navy said, adding that hundreds of naval officers and emergency personnel were deployed to the area.
Sheinbaum said senior officials were sent to the scene to support the families of those killed.
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The Interoceanic Train is operated by Mexico’s Navy and connects the country’s Pacific and Gulf coasts.
The main line began service in 2023 as part of a project launched under then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to boost economic development in southern Mexico and provide an alternative cargo route to the Panama Canal, according to Reuters.
The broader effort also aimed to modernize rail infrastructure across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico’s narrowest land bridge.
Mexico’s Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos said on X that an investigation has been opened into the derailment.
Oaxaca Gov. Salomón Jara Cruz said in a statement on X that his administration “deeply regret[s]” the accident and offered condolences to the victims’ families, adding that the state government would support those who were traveling on the train.
