24 people died and 5 people were injured in a traffic accident in central Mexico

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 27 (Xinhua): 24 people were killed and five others were injured when a passenger bus collided with a tractor trailer in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas early Saturday, local authorities reported. National Guard coordinator Juan Manriquez said the accident occurred when the trailer separated from the truck carrying corn and the bus overturned to the right.

Rodrigo Reyes, secretary general of the Zacatecas government, said in a video statement that the bus was traveling from Tepic in the western state of Nayarit to Ciudad Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua. He advised passengers to stay away from the highway, which remained closed after the accident. Reyes added that the injured were being treated at the Mexican Social Security Institute.

Stating that Zacatecas Governor David Monreal instructed the State Victim Assistance Commission to support all affected passengers, “We express our deepest condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones in this tragic accident.” he said.

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death in Mexico. According to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, more than 381,000 incidents were reported in urban and suburban areas in 2023, causing more than 4,800 deaths and 90,500 injuries.