At least 21 people were reported dead following a horrific road accident that took place on a highway connecting Cuacnopalan and Oaxaca in central Mexico. Samuel Aguilar Pala, a local government official, reported that 18 of the deceased were pronounced dead at the scene, while three others succumbed to their injuries later in the hospital. Several others were injured in the crash and are currently receiving medical care.
Local media outlets indicate that the calamity involved a tanker truck, a bus, and a van. According to reports from the Mexican newspaper La Jornada, the chaotic sequence began when a cement truck attempted to pass a van. In an alarming turn of events, the truck crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding with a bus before crashing head-on into a transport van. The force of the collision propelled the truck into a ravine, where it caught fire.
Dramatic footage shared by a local journalist surfaced on social media, showing a thick plume of dark smoke rising from the ravine alongside extensive damage to the road barriers. However, this video remains unverified at this time. The frequency of severe accidents on Mexican highways has raised concerns, with a similar deadly bus crash in Tabasco earlier this year claiming numerous lives.
