A deadly rail disaster has struck southern Mexico after an Interoceanic passenger train derailed on Sunday, killing at least 13 people and injuring nearly 100 others, authorities have confirmed.
The Mexican Navy said 98 passengers were injured in the crash, with 36 requiring hospital treatment, after the train derailed in the municipality of Asunción Ixtaltepec, in the state of Oaxaca. Around 250 people were believed to be on board at the time of the incident.
Shocking images from the scene showed Mexican Army soldiers and Civil Protection teams scrambling to rescue passengers from damaged carriages as emergency crews flooded the area. Hundreds of naval personnel, ambulances and rescue vehicles were deployed as part of the large-scale response.
Crash Occurs on Key Interoceanic Route
Officials said the train was travelling along the main Interoceanic route linking the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz to Salina Cruz on the Pacific coast when it derailed. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
Me informa la Secretaría de Marina que en el accidente del Tren Interoceánico lamentablemente fallecieron 13 personas; 98 están lesionadas, cinco de ellas de gravedad. Los heridos se encuentran en hospitales del IMSS en Matías Romero y Salina Cruz, así como de IMSS-Bienestar en…
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) December 29, 2025
President Confirms Death Toll and Orders Senior Officials to Site
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo confirmed the scale of the tragedy in a statement on X, saying the Secretariat of the Navy had informed her that 13 people were killed and 98 were injured, including five who are in serious condition.
She said the injured are being treated at IMSS hospitals in Matías Romero and Salina Cruz, as well as IMSS-Bienestar hospitals in Juchitán and Ixtepec.
'I have given instructions for the Secretary of the Navy and the Undersecretary of Human Rights of the Secretariat of the Interior to travel to the site and personally attend to the families,' Sheinbaum said.
She added that IMSS and IMSS-Bienestar delegates have also been dispatched, and that the Secretary of the Interior will coordinate the overall response.
The president also thanked the Governor of Oaxaca and his team for their support, saying authorities would continue to provide updates as the situation develops.
Flagship Rail Project Only Opened in 2023
Mexico's Attorney General, Ernestina Godoy, confirmed that a formal investigation has been opened to determine what caused the derailment. Officials said inquiries are ongoing.
The Interoceanic Train, operated by Mexico's Navy, is a major infrastructure project designed to connect the country's Pacific and Gulf coasts. The line entered service in 2023 under a development programme launched by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador to stimulate economic growth in southern Mexico and offer an alternative trade corridor to the Panama Canal.
#BREAKING : The Mexican Navy confirmed that at least 13 people were killed and 98 others injured after a passenger train carrying around 250 people derailed earlier today in southwest Mexico.
— upuknews (@upuknews1) December 29, 2025
The train had been carrying 250 people at the time of the crash, including nine crew… pic.twitter.com/bkGzhXnCSY
Death Toll Could Rise
Authorities have warned the number of fatalities may increase as rescue and recovery efforts continue. The investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story.
