13 Dead, Scores Injured in Major Train Derailment

ASUNCIÓN IXTALTEPEC:  A major rescue operation is underway in southern Mexico after a passenger train derailed on Sunday, killing at least 13 people and injuring 98 others.

The incident occurred on the Interoceanic Train’s main line in Asunción Ixtaltepec, Oaxaca, as the vessel traveled between the coastal hubs of Veracruz and Salina Cruz. There were approximately 250 passengers on board at the time of the crash.

Mexico’s Navy, which manages the rail line, confirmed that while nearly 100 people sustained injuries, 36 required urgent hospital care for serious conditions. Hundreds of naval personnel and a fleet of rescue vehicles were deployed to the remote site to assist in extracting passengers from the wreckage.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has officially addressed the disaster, stating she has dispatched the Secretary of the Navy and the Interior Ministry’s Undersecretary for Human Rights to the scene.

“I have instructed them to travel to the site and personally attend to the families,” Sheinbaum posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Attorney General Ernestina Godoy has confirmed that a formal investigation is now open to determine the cause of the derailment. Investigators will look into whether the crash was caused by mechanical failure, track maintenance issues, or external factors.