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At least 13 killed, nearly 100 injured in train derailment in southern Mexico

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Credit: Social media

At least 13 people were killed and nearly 100 were injured after a passenger train derailed in southern Mexico, according to Mexican officials.

The derailment occurred on Sunday on Line Z of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec Railway in Oaxaca state, according to the Mexican Navy. Officials said about 250 passengers were on board the train at the time.

The Navy said 13 people were killed in the derailment and 98 others were injured, including 36 who were hospitalized.

A passenger who recorded video immediately after the derailment said the train appeared to be traveling at high speed. “We don’t know if it lost its brakes. A lot of people were lying on the ground. We’re okay, a little banged up, but we’re okay.”

Images from the scene showed several train cars down a steep slope, while others were overturned.

“The Secretariat of the Navy has informed me that in the Interoceanic Train accident, unfortunately 13 people died; 98 are injured, five of them seriously,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a social media post.

The Mexican Navy said it deployed 360 naval personnel, air and ground ambulances, and a tactical drone to assist with rescue, medical care and recovery efforts. Authorities said state and federal agencies are continuing to investigate the cause of the derailment.

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec Railway is part of the Interoceanic Corridor project, a major infrastructure initiative promoted by Mexico’s Morena-led federal government to connect ports on the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf.

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