Passenger Train Derails in Mexico, 13 Killed and Over 100 Injured

At least 13 people were killed and more than 100 others injured after a passenger train derailed in southern Mexico. According to a BBC report citing the Mexican Navy, the accident occurred in the southwestern state of Oaxaca.

The Navy said the train was operating on a route connecting the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. There were 241 passengers and nine crew members on board at the time of the accident. Of the injured, 36 people were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Authorities said the train derailed while negotiating a curve near the town of Nizanda. Mexico’s Attorney General confirmed that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.

President Claudia Sheinbaum said five of the injured remain in critical condition. She added that senior government officials, including the Navy Secretary, were traveling to the crash site to oversee rescue and response efforts.

Images released from the scene show rescue workers assisting passengers as they evacuated the derailed train. The train was thrown off the tracks and partially tilted near a ravine.

The Navy said the “Interoceanic” train, which connects the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf coast, consisted of two locomotives and four passenger cars. Mexico’s railway network is operated by the Mexican Navy.

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy in a statement and said the state government is working in coordination with federal agencies to support the victims.

The Interoceanic rail link was inaugurated two years ago under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador as part of efforts to boost regional economic development. The project aims to modernize rail connectivity across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, reducing the distance between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and transforming the region into a strategic commercial corridor.

As part of this initiative, Mexico has been expanding ports, railways, and industrial infrastructure. The rail service is considered a key component in improving passenger and freight transportation in southern Mexico and driving regional economic growth.