Freight train slams into double-decker bus in Mexico; 10 dead, 41 injured

Mexico: A freight train collided with a double-decker passenger bus at a grade-level crossing northwest of Mexico City early Monday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 41 others, authorities confirmed.

The deadly crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. in an industrial zone in Atlacomulco, approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the capital. According to officials, the bus—operated by the Herradura de Plata line—was sheared in half by the fast-moving train as it crossed the tracks amid heavy traffic.

“There were no visible crossing gates or other stop lights,” eyewitnesses told local media. Video footage circulating on social media showed the bus inching across the tracks moments before the train slammed into its midpoint, dragging the rear half down the line and leaving the front section crumpled across the road.

“We heard a crash. We thought it was just a car. We never thought it would be a bus with so many people aboard,” said Miguel Sánchez, 33, who works at a nearby service station and witnessed the collision from about 100 yards away. “The train blew its horn like it always does, but cars just kept going over the tracks.”

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City of Mexico (CPKC), the freight train operator, confirmed the incident and extended condolences to the victims’ families. The Calgary-based company said its personnel were on site and cooperating fully with authorities.

State prosecutors have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash. The bus company has not yet issued a statement.

Among the victims was the daughter-in-law of Rebeca Miranda’s sister, both domestic workers commuting to work. Miranda said her sister was injured and hospitalized but able to speak, while the younger woman did not survive.

“The bus should not have been crossing the tracks just as the train was coming,” Miranda said. “It’s really unfortunate. Why? To beat the train. Those are lives.”

A second video shows the upper deck of the bus torn open, with passengers attempting to move amid the wreckage. A woman’s voice can be heard crying out, “Help me, help me,” as emergency vehicles began arriving.

Accidents at railroad crossings have increased in Mexico in recent years. According to the country’s Rail Transportation Regulating Agency, there were 800 such incidents in 2023, up from 602 in 2020. Last month, six people were killed when a train hit several vehicles in Guanajuato. In 2019, nine died under similar circumstances in Querétaro state.