Passenger Train Derailment in Southern Mexico Leaves 13 Dead, Nearly 100 Injured

Mexico City — At least 13 people were killed and 98 others injured after a passenger train derailed on a bridge near the town of Nizanda in southern Mexico on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Secretariat of the Navy.

The accident involved the Interoceanic Train, which connects the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of Mexico. The train was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members when it derailed while navigating a curve near Nizanda in Oaxaca state. The train, made up of two locomotives and four passenger coaches, partially came off the tracks, with several carriages tilting down a steep embankment.

Officials said that of the 98 injured, five remain in serious condition. Most of the injured were taken to hospitals operated by the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Matías Romero and Salina Cruz, while others received treatment at IMSS-Wellbeing hospitals in Juchitán and Ixtepec.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed the casualties in a post on social media platform X. She said she had directed the Secretary of the Navy and the Deputy Secretary for Human Rights from the Secretariat of the Interior to travel to the site to personally assist victims’ families. She added that the Secretary of the Interior would coordinate the overall response, and thanked the Governor of Oaxaca and his team for their support.

Rescue operations were carried out swiftly, with emergency workers helping passengers evacuate the derailed train as local and federal authorities coordinated medical aid and relief efforts. Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz expressed deep sorrow over the incident and assured full cooperation with federal agencies to support those affected.

Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the derailment. The Interoceanic rail corridor, inaugurated two years ago under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, was developed to enhance passenger and freight connectivity and establish a strategic trade route across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

Authorities said monitoring and assistance efforts are ongoing, with priority being given to medical care for the injured and support for the victims’ families. The incident has renewed concerns over safety on the rail corridor, which passes through challenging terrain in Oaxaca.

With inputs from IANS