At least 10 people were killed and 61 injured on Monday in central Mexico after a freight train collided with a double-decker passenger bus. Authorities said the crash occurred when the bus attempted to cross the tracks ahead of the oncoming train.
The collision happened in an industrial area along the highway between Atlacomulco, about 115 kilometres northwest of Mexico City, and MaravatĂo in Michoacán state. Images from the scene showed the top front of the bus crushed and its metal frame mangled as emergency workers cordoned off the wreckage.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City de México, the rail operator, expressed condolences to the victims’ families and urged drivers to obey traffic signals and stop signs at railway crossings. Bus operator Herradura de Plata did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The State of Mexico’s attorney general’s office confirmed that seven women and three men were among the dead. Some of the injured were reported to be in critical condition, while others were treated and discharged quickly from nearby hospitals.
Deadly road accidents are a recurring problem in Mexico. Government figures show more than 12,000 crashes occurred on federal highways in 2023, causing nearly 1,900 deaths, 6,400 injuries, and financial damages exceeding $100 million.
In one of the country’s worst recent accidents, over 40 people were killed in February when a bus travelling from Cancún to Tabasco struck a trailer truck and caught fire.
Buses remain a primary mode of intercity travel in Mexico, where passenger train services are limited despite widespread use of freight rail. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has pledged to expand passenger rail networks across northern and central Mexico to improve safety and connectivity.
Melissa Enoch
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