Truck-Bus Collision in Northern Mexico Claims 19 Lives, Injures 6

 

A tragic collision between a cargo truck and a passenger bus on a northern Mexico highway on Saturday resulted in at least 19 deaths and left six individuals injured, according to local authorities.

Officials initially reported a higher death toll of 24, but later revised the count. Zacatecas state official Rodrigo Reyes confirmed the final figure, stating, “Following rescue efforts and expert work carried out at the scene, the confirmed number is, unfortunately, 19 people.” Six injured passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The incident took place on a highway linking Zacatecas to Aguascalientes when a container filled with corn detached from the truck, causing the passenger bus with 25 onboard to overturn. The bus was en route from Tepic in Nayarit state to Ciudad Juárez, near the U.S. border.

In response, the highway was closed to traffic as the army, National Guard, and civil protection forces managed the site. The increase in traffic accidents in Mexico has raised concerns, with data from Inegi, the national statistics institute, showing a jump from just over 300,000 in 2020 to 381,048 last year, resulting in 4,803 deaths and over 90,000 injuries.