ATLACOMULCO, Mexico (AP) — A tragic accident occurred on Monday when a freight train collided with a double-decker bus at a railway crossing northwest of Mexico City, resulting in at least 10 fatalities and 55 injuries. The incident took place in an industrial area of Atlacomulco, located approximately 80 miles (130 kilometers) from the Mexican capital.
The state of Mexico's civil defense agency reported on social media platform X that emergency teams were still at the scene, and the prosecutor's office in the state has opened an investigation into the matter. The bus was part of the Herradura de Plata line and was severely damaged in the impact.
Authorities confirmed the death toll of 10 individuals while 55 others suffered injuries, with local media indicating that the injured were transported to various hospitals across the state. The bus company has yet to issue a public statement, while the Canadian Pacific Kansas City of Mexico, which operates the train line, acknowledged the incident and expressed condolences to the victims' families, stating that their personnel were cooperating with investigators.
Details surrounding the accident remain sparse, but a video shared on social media depicted the bus inching through heavy traffic at the crossing when a fast-moving train suddenly emerged, crashing into the bus at its midpoint. The sheer force of the collision propelled the bus down the tracks, tearing it apart; the front section came to a stop in the opposite traffic lanes, while the rear portion landed further away on the other side of the tracks.
Witness testimony indicated that there were no visible crossing gates or traffic lights at the crossing. A local service station worker, Miguel Sánchez, 33, reported hearing the train's horn well ahead of the intersection. Despite the warning, cars continued to cross in front of the incoming train until the moment of impact. Sánchez noted that he initially thought the loud noise was merely a car crash, never anticipating that it would involve a packed bus.
Following the collision, a video captured scenes of the wrecked bus, from which individuals could be seen moving amongst the debris, even as the train gradually came to a halt. Shouts of distress were heard, with one woman pleading for help. Eyewitness Sánchez recounted the chaotic scene as ambulances quickly arrived to facilitate rescue operations.
Rebeca Miranda, waiting near the tracks for information about the victims, revealed that her sister and her sister's daughter-in-law were aboard the bus. While her sister was taken to the hospital and managed to communicate, her daughter-in-law tragically perished in the accident. Miranda expressed her frustration over the preventable nature of the tragedy, stating, "It's really unfortunate. Why? To beat the train. Those are lives."
A recent report from Mexico's Rail Transportation Regulatory Agency indicated that accidents at grade-level crossings are becoming increasingly common, with 800 such incidents reported last year compared to 602 in 2020. However, the report did not provide details on the number of people affected by these accidents. Notably, just last month, six individuals lost their lives when a train collided with multiple vehicles in Guanajuato state, and in 2019, a similar incident near Queretaro resulted in the deaths of nine individuals.
The aftermath of the accident continues to unfold as investigators work to determine the specific causes, and authorities seek to address the safety concerns surrounding railway crossings in the region.
