10 Dead, 61 Injured as Train Hits Bus in Central Mexico

In Central Mexico, ten people were killed and at least 61 were injured when a freight train collided with a double-decker passenger bus, which, according to the train operator, tried to cross in front of the moving train. Reuters reports this.

Images from the scene showed the front of the bus's upper deck smashed, and its metal structure severely damaged. The collision occurred in an industrial zone on the highway between the city of Atlacomulco and the city of Maravatío in the neighboring state of Michoacán, about 115 km (71 miles) northwest of the capital, Mexico City, local authorities said.

The office of the Attorney General of the State of Mexico reported that seven women and three men were killed. Some of the injured are in serious condition.

Fatal bus accidents are frequent in Latin America. The latest report from the Mexican government on federal highways showed that in 2023, a total of 12,099 accidents were registered, resulting in over $100 million in damages, 6,400 injuries, and about 1,900 deaths.

In February, more than 40 people died in southern Mexico when a bus traveling from the tourist city of Cancún to Tabasco collided with a truck trailer and caught fire.

Buses are one of the main means of transport in Mexico, where, although freight trains are common, passenger rail routes are still limited.

President Claudia Sheinbaum's government plans to dramatically expand the country's passenger rail network to connect many parts of northern and central Mexico.