At least 13 people have been confirmed dead and 98 others injured after Mexico’s Interoceanic Train derailed on Sunday in Asunción Ixtaltepec, Oaxaca, according to the Mexican Navy. About 250 passengers were on board at the time of the accident.
The train derailed along the main rail line connecting Veracruz on the Gulf Coast to Salina Cruz on the Pacific Coast. Authorities said 36 injured passengers were taken to hospitals, while others sustained minor injuries.
Hundreds of naval personnel, rescue teams, and emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene to assist survivors and evacuate passengers.
Mexico’s Attorney General, Ernestina Godoy, announced that a formal investigation would be launched to determine the cause of the derailment.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said she has directed senior officials from the Navy and the Interior Ministry to travel to the crash site and personally attend to the affected families.
The Interoceanic Train, operated by the Mexican Navy, began service in 2023 as part of a federal initiative under former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The project was designed to boost economic development in southern Mexico and serve as an alternative cargo route to the Panama Canal.
The investigation is ongoing, and the death toll may rise as rescue efforts continue.