At least 21 individuals have lost their lives following a horrific accident involving multiple vehicles on a highway in central Mexico.
**Tragic Highway Collision Claims 21 Lives in Central Mexico**
**Tragic Highway Collision Claims 21 Lives in Central Mexico**
A devastating traffic accident in Puebla state marks a grim day for Mexico, as officials confirm the fatalities.
A local government representative, Samuel Aguilar Pala, reported that the crash occurred early Wednesday between Cuacnopalan and Oaxaca, claiming the lives of 18 people on the scene, while an additional three succumbed to their injuries later in a medical facility. The accident involved a tanker truck, a bus, and a van, with witnesses recounting the catastrophic sequence of events that led to the tragedy.
According to reports from local media outlets, specifically La Jornada, the misfortune was triggered when a cement truck attempted to overtake a van. In this maneuver, the truck swerved into oncoming traffic, resulting in an impact with a bus before colliding head-on with the transport van. The vehicles subsequently fell into a ravine, with tragic consequences, including the truck catching fire.
Eyewitness accounts and video footage circulated on social media depicted a scene of chaos, with dark smoke billowing from the ravine and significant damage to the road infrastructure. While these visuals have not been officially verified by the BBC, they contribute to the troubling narrative surrounding highway safety in the region.
Tragically, this incident is part of a broader context of vehicular disasters in Mexico. Earlier this year, a separate bus collision in Tabasco resulted in numerous fatalities, intensifying concerns about traffic safety standards throughout the country. Local authorities are now under increasing pressure to address this alarming trend and implement measures aimed at preventing such catastrophic accidents in the future.
