Tragic: Around 53 migrants killed as truck collapses in Mexico

At least 53 individuals, most of whom were Central American migrants and refugees, killed when the truck they were travelling in collapsed in Mexico.

Friday, 10th December 2021

Tragic: Around 53 migrants killed as truck collapses in Mexico

At least 53 individuals, most of whom were Central American migrants and refugees, died when the truck they were travelling in collapsed in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. The accident occurred in one of the country's worst road accidents in recent years. According to Luis Manuel Garcia, chief of the Chiapas civil protection department, the accident occurred on Thursday when a massive truck toppled on a treacherous bend outside Tuxtla Gutierrez. According to local officials, at than 100 individuals were inside. At the same time, the number could have been as high as 200, with rumours that some of the bloodied passengers left the scene for fear of being apprehended by immigration officials. Many of the injured battled to free themselves from the toppled container's pile of people. Images from the Reuters news agency showed individuals being treated on tarps on the ground. Rows of what seemed to be accident victims' bodies wrapped in white cloths were also visible in images of the collision site. [caption id="attachment_39363" align="aligncenter" width="532"]

An injured woman is moved by rescue personnel from the site of a truck crash near Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas state, Mexico. [The Associated Press][/caption]"It took a turn, and because of the weight of us people inside, we all went with it," a surprised Guatemalan guy sitting at the scene told a social media audience. "The trailer was unable to support the weight of the passengers." According to officials, the driver appeared to be speeding when he lost control of the vehicle. Men, women, and children were among those killed, according to officials. According to officials, at least 54 individuals were injured and brought to local hospitals, with three of them in critical condition. Hundreds of individuals from Guatemala, which borders Mexico, were among the injured, according to a preliminary report. "I greatly lament the tragedy in Chiapas state," Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei posted on Twitter. "I express my solidarity with the victims' families, to whom we will provide all necessary consular help, including repatriation." Meanwhile, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the situation as "extremely distressing," and El Salvador's foreign minister, Alexandra Hill, said her country was investigating whether Salvadorans were killed in the crash. Meanwhile, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the situation as "extremely distressing," and El Salvador's foreign minister, Alexandra Hill, said her country was investigating whether Salvadorans were killed in the crash.