MEXICO CITY: At least 24 people died and five others sustained injuries when a cargo truck collided with a passenger bus in northern Mexico on Saturday, local authorities said.
The accident occurred on a highway connecting Zacatecas to Aguascalientes, when a truck carrying a large container of corn lost its load, causing the bus to overturn.
Rodrigo Reyes, a senior official in the Zacatecas government, confirmed the initial casualty figures in a video posted on social media, stating, “So far, the preliminary information available is that 24 passengers have died, and five people are injured and receiving medical treatment.”
The bus had been traveling between Tepic, in western Nayarit state, and Ciudad Juarez, near the US border, when it collided with the rear of the tractor-trailer early in the morning. As a result of the collision, some of the bodies were thrown from the vehicle into a nearby ravine.
Zacatecas Governor David Monreal expressed condolences and vowed support for the families of the victims, taking to social media to confirm the fatalities. “Our thoughts are with the families of those affected, and we are providing every possible support,” Monreal said.
Images from the scene show rescue teams and security forces, including army and National Guard personnel, working to secure the area while emergency crews recover the bodies. The highway has been closed to traffic as officials conduct recovery and investigation operations.
Authorities have not confirmed whether any of the victims were migrants traveling toward the US border, though the route is frequently used by migrants and travelers heading north.
