Mexico Train Tragedy: 13 Killed After Interoceanic Passenger Train Derails

At least 13 people lost their lives, and 98 others were injured after a passenger train derailed on a bridge near the town of Nizanda in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on Sunday, authorities confirmed.

The accident involved the Interoceanic Train, which was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members at the time of the incident.

According to the Secretariat of the Navy, the train derailed while rounding a bend on the route connecting the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast.

The train, consisting of two locomotives and four passenger carriages, partially toppled off the tracks, with several coaches tilting dangerously down the side of a cliff.

Five of the 98 injured passengers are in serious condition, and authorities took most of the injured to hospitals operated by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Matías Romero and Salina Cruz.

Others received treatment at IMSS-Wellbeing hospitals in Juchitán and Ixtepec. Emergency services worked swiftly to provide medical care and transport the injured to nearby facilities.

Rescue workers assisted passengers as they disembarked from the damaged carriages, while local residents also stepped in to help in the immediate aftermath of the derailment.

President Orders Senior Officials to Site

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed the casualty figures in a post on X, stating that the Secretariat of the Navy had informed her of the deaths and injuries.

She said she had instructed senior officials, including the Secretary of the Navy and the Deputy Secretary of Human Rights from the Secretariat of the Interior, to travel to the accident site and personally attend to the affected families.

The President added that delegates from IMSS and IMSS-Wellbeing had also been directed to assist, while the Secretary of the Interior would coordinate all relief and support efforts.

She thanked the Governor of Oaxaca and his administration for their cooperation and assured that further updates would be provided as the situation developed.

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz expressed deep regret over the tragedy and said that state authorities were working closely with federal teams to support rescue operations and help the victims’ families.

Local and federal agencies coordinated efforts to manage the site, provide medical aid, and ensure passenger safety.

Mexico’s Attorney General has launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the derailment.

Authorities are examining whether track conditions, speed, or other technical factors may have contributed to the accident.

Former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador inaugurated the Interoceanic rail corridor two years ago to improve regional connectivity, strengthen passenger and freight transport, and create a strategic trade route across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The incident has raised concerns about rail safety along this challenging stretch of terrain, underscoring the need for strict safety measures on this vital transport link.

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