Train Derailment K*lls 13 People, Injures Nearly 100 Others

A train derailment in southern Mexico killed at least 13 people and injured 98 others.

The incident occurred on the Interoceanic Train, which links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

The train was carrying 250 people when it derailed.

“The Secretariat of the Navy has informed me that in the Interoceanic Train accident, unfortunately 13 people died; 98 are injured, five of them seriously. The injured are in IMSS hospitals in Matías Romero and Salina Cruz, as well as in IMSS-Wellbeing hospitals in Juchitán and Ixtepec,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said.

“I have given instructions for the Secretary of the Navy and the Deputy Secretary of Human Rights of the Secretariat of the Interior to travel to the site and personally attend to the families; also the delegates of IMSS and IMSS-Wellbeing. The Secretary of the Interior will coordinate the efforts. I appreciate the support of the Governor of Oaxaca and his team. We will continue to provide updates,” she added.

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

More from the Associated Press:

The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 by then President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The rail service is part of a broader push to boost train travel in southern Mexico, and develop infrastructure along the isthmus of Tehuantepec, a narrow stretch of land between the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Mexican government plans to turn the isthmus into a strategic corridor for international trade, with ports and rail lines that can connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The Interoceanic train currently runs from the port of Salina Cruz on the Pacific Ocean to Coatzacoalcos, covering a distance of approximately 180 miles (290 kilometers) .

Interoceanic Train derails in southern Mexico, killing at least 13 and injuring dozens https://t.co/ADBxh6Z4mz pic.twitter.com/pd3kq992Eu

— New York Post (@nypost) December 29, 2025

The Guardian shared further:

Another of Amlo’s projects, the £16bn ($21.6bn) Mayan Train, which entailed the construction of a loop of rail for tourists and cargo around the entire Yucatán Peninsula, compounded his bid to kickstart the economy of the relatively poor south-east.

The construction of both trains was overseen by the Mexican military, in a dramatic expansion of its responsibilities in recent years. They were built at double time, defying expectations to be at least partially inaugurated before the end of Amlo’s term – but also raising concerns over safety.

Sunday’s derailment was the third incident on the Interoceanic Train this year, including one earlier this month when a train hit a truck at a crossing. The Mayan Train has also seen two non-fatal derailments.

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Alejandro Moreno, the leader of the opposition institutional revolutionary party (PRI), called for the construction and operation of all such projects to be paused while a full audit was conducted.

“This tragedy … demands immediate answers,” wrote the party on X.

Sheinbaum responded by insisting the train had operated with all safety requirements. “We will be very responsible in the construction and operation [of these projects], as we have always been,” she said.