At least 13 people were killed and dozens more injured after an Interoceanic Train derailed in southern Mexico, disrupting a key rail link between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, officials said Sunday. The train, which connects the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, went off the tracks while navigating a curve near the town of Nizanda. Authorities said 241 passengers and nine crew members were on board at the time of the accident. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the fatalities in a post on social media, saying 98 people were injured, including five in serious condition. She added that she directed senior navy and interior ministry officials to travel to the scene to support victims and their families.
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara said multiple government agencies were deployed to the site to provide emergency assistance and medical care to those hurt in the crash. The Interoceanic Train was launched in 2023 under former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador as part of a broader effort to expand rail travel and economic development in southern Mexico.
The project is central to plans to transform the Isthmus of Tehuantepec into a major trade corridor, linking ports and rail infrastructure across the narrow land bridge between the two oceans. The rail line currently runs from the Pacific port of Salina Cruz to Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf coast, covering roughly 290 kilometres. Authorities have not yet released details on what caused the derailment, and an investigation is underway.
