At least 13 people were killed and 98 others injured on Sunday after a navy-operated passenger train derailed in southern Mexico’s Oaxaca state, prompting a high-level federal response led by President Claudia Sheinbaum. The Interoceanic Train, which links the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico, left the tracks while navigating a curve near the town of Nizanda, close to the border between Oaxaca and Veracruz. Officials said the train was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members at the time of the accident.
Casualties Revised Upward
The Mexican Navy, which operates the service, initially reported that 20 people had been injured. Hours later, it revised the toll, confirming in a statement that “98 were injured and, unfortunately, 13 people lost their lives.”
Of the injured, 36 were receiving medical treatment, while five were listed in critical condition. Authorities said 139 passengers were out of danger. President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had directed senior federal officials to immediately travel to the site of the derailment to oversee rescue operations and assist affected families.
13 people DEAD as train derails in Asunción Ixtaltepec, Mexico
— RT (@RT_com) December 29, 2025
The Mexican Interoceanic Train had only been running since 2023
98 people injured in accident pic.twitter.com/tzZfFZzHOG
“I have instructed the secretary of the navy and other senior personnel to go to the area and provide support,” Sheinbaum said in a post on X. She added that response efforts would be coordinated by Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez Velázquez and that the government would issue regular updates.
Emergency Services Rush To Remote Site
Emergency teams, including navy personnel, medical staff and local authorities, were deployed to the remote area to evacuate passengers, provide first aid and transport the injured to nearby hospitals. Local media images showed damaged carriages and rescue workers assisting survivors along the tracks.
The Attorney General’s Office confirmed it had opened an investigation to determine the cause of the crash. Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos said the inquiry would examine both technical and operational factors.
The Interoceanic Train was inaugurated in 2023 under former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador as part of the Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a flagship infrastructure project aimed at boosting development in southern Mexico. The corridor serves as a strategic transport link for passengers and freight between the Pacific and Gulf coasts.