Mexico: At least 13 people were killed and nearly 100 injured after a passenger train derailed in Mexico’s south-western Oaxaca region, according to the Mexican Navy.
The Interoceanic train, which was travelling between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members at the time of the accident. Navy officials said 98 people were injured, with 36 receiving treatment in the hospital.
Me informa la Secretaría de Marina que en el accidente del Tren Interoceánico lamentablemente fallecieron 13 personas; 98 están lesionadas, cinco de ellas de gravedad. Los heridos se encuentran en hospitales del IMSS en Matías Romero y Salina Cruz, así como de IMSS-Bienestar en…
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) December 29, 2025
The derailment occurred as the train rounded a bend near the town of Nizanda. Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office confirmed that an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said five of the injured were in serious condition and confirmed that senior federal officials, including the Secretary of the Navy, were travelling to the crash site.
Images from the scene showed rescue teams assisting passengers as the train lay off the tracks, with several carriages tilted near the edge of a cliff. The Navy said the train consisted of two locomotives and four passenger cars.
The Interoceanic rail line connects the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast and is operated by Mexico’s navy as part of the national railway network. Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz expressed deep regret over the incident, stating that state authorities were coordinating closely with federal agencies to support victims and their families.
The Interoceanic rail link was inaugurated two years ago under former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador as part of a major infrastructure initiative aimed at boosting economic development across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The project seeks to modernise transport links, expand ports, and position the region as a strategic trade corridor connecting the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.
The derailment has raised renewed questions about rail safety as Mexico continues to expand passenger and freight rail services in its southern regions.
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