Rescue Effort Underway After Train Plunges Into Ravine in Southern Mexico

A passenger train derailment in southern Mexico left several people injured and others trapped on Sunday after a service carrying around 250 people came off the tracks near the town of Nizanda in the state of Oaxaca. Federal authorities confirmed the incident occurred on a bridge along the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The Secretariat of the Navy said the train was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members at the time of the derailment. The locomotive plunged into a ravine around seven metres deep at kilometre Z-230+290, on a section of line heading toward the municipality of Matías Romero. Officials have yet to release an official count of those injured or provide details on the severity of their injuries.

Emergency crews launched a complex rescue operation at the scene, using ropes and specialised equipment to reach passengers who remained trapped inside one of the railcars. Authorities worked to evacuate those onboard while securing the surrounding area, which includes steep terrain beneath the bridge.

The Secretariat of the Navy said an immediate response was put in place following the derailment.

“From the very first moment, immediate assistance has been provided to users, and coordination has been maintained with local authorities to respond to the incident, as well as to gather the corresponding technical and operational information”

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara said the accident occurred between the communities of Chivela and Nizanda. State Civil Protection and Risk Management teams, state traffic police and ambulance services are supporting the Navy at the scene, while investigators continue collecting technical and operational data to establish how the derailment occurred.

Image: Especial