Tragic bus collision in Mexico claims at least 37 lives

A devastating bus crash in Mexico has left at least 37 people dead and several others injured.

The incident occurred on the night of February 7 to 8, when a Tours Acosta bus, travelling from Cancun in Quintana Roo to Comalcalco in Tabasco, collided head-on with a tractor-trailer on the Escárcega-Villahermosa highway, at kilometre 171, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

At the time of the crash, approximately 46 passengers were aboard the bus. The National Guard was the first to arrive at the scene and confirmed that nine people survived the crash. The survivors were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals, with three of them receiving care at the Children’s Hospital in Villahermosa, two at Palenque Hospital in Chiapas, and two others at Cárdenas Hospital in Tabasco.

Authorities have described the incident as one of the most deadly road accidents in recent years. Preliminary reports suggest that the driver of the tractor-trailer may have caused the collision by veering into the opposite lane, likely due to fatigue.

Local officials have confirmed that the exact number of victims is still being determined. DNA tests are being conducted to identify the deceased. Elisa Hernández Romero, Secretary of the Government of Campeche, along with José Ramiro López Obrador, Secretary of Tabasco, and Escárcega Mayor Juan Carlos Hernández Rath, issued a joint statement noting the difficulty in confirming the exact number of passengers onboard. The bus made several stops along the way, with passengers—some of them babies and children—boarding and disembarking at various points.

Hernández Rath assured that assistance is being provided to the families of the victims, including lodging, food, and legal support, as they make their way to the scene to identify their loved ones and arrange for the transportation of the remains.

By Khagan Isayev