An accident in central Mexico has left 10 people dead and at least 61 others injured after a freight train collided with a double-decker passenger bus. The train operator stated that the bus had been trying to pass in front of the moving train at the time of the crash.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City de Mexico, the railway company, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged drivers to adhere to road signs and stop orders at railway crossings, reports agencies.
The bus company, Herradura de Plata, did not provide immediate comments on the incident.
Images from the scene revealed significant damage to the top deck of the bus, with the metal frame severely bent. Emergency responders had cordoned off the area while assessing the damage.
The crash occurred in an industrial area along the highway connecting Atlacomulco, located about 115 km (71 miles) northwest of Mexico City, to Maravatio in Michoacan state, according to local authorities.
The State of Mexico’s attorney general’s office reported that seven women and three men lost their lives. While some of the injured were in critical condition, others were treated and discharged from the hospital, though the office did not specify the exact number of injured.
Fatal bus accidents are common across Latin America. A report from the Mexican government revealed 12,099 collisions on federal highways in 2023 alone, resulting in over $100 million in damage, 6,400 injuries, and nearly 1,900 deaths.
Although buses are a key mode of transportation in Mexico, passenger rail services are limited, even though freight trains are widely used. The government, under President Claudia Sheinbaum, is working to significantly expand the passenger rail network to improve connectivity across northern and central Mexico.
