13 killed, nearly 100 injured as interoceanic train derails in Mexico

At least 13 people were killed and 98 others injured after an Interoceanic Train derailed on Sunday on a key rail corridor in southern Mexico, authorities said. The accident occurred as the passenger train rounded a curve near the town of Nizanda in Oaxaca, causing several coaches to leave the tracks and tumble down an embankment.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the casualties, saying the Mexican Navy informed her of the deaths and injuries. Five passengers are in serious condition. She said she instructed the secretary of the navy and the undersecretary of human rights from the Ministry of the Interior to travel to the site and personally assist the families of the victims.

Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara said multiple state and federal agencies were deployed immediately after the accident to help the injured and secure the area. Emergency teams transported dozens of passengers to hospitals in nearby towns, including Juchitán, Matías Romero, Ixtepec and Salina Cruz, for treatment.

Officials said the train was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members at the time of the derailment. Survivor accounts cited in local media suggested the train may have been travelling at a high speed before it left the tracks, though authorities said the exact cause of the accident is still under investigation. Federal officials have launched a probe to determine whether technical failure, track conditions or human error played a role.

The Interoceanic Train links the Pacific port of Salina Cruz in Oaxaca with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf of Mexico in Veracruz, covering roughly 180 miles across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The service was inaugurated in 2023 under former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador as part of a major infrastructure push to revive rail transport in southern Mexico.

The project forms the backbone of the Interoceanic Corridor, which aims to create a strategic land bridge between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through upgraded rail lines, ports, highways and industrial zones. The corridor is intended to support both passenger travel and cargo movement while boosting economic development in the region.

Train operations along the route have been suspended as rescue work continues and investigators assess the damage. The derailment has renewed scrutiny over safety standards on Mexico’s newly developed rail projects, even as authorities stress their commitment to accountability and support for those affected.