A view shows clothing and items scattered on the site where a cargo truck careened off a road and turned over, killing at least 25 migrants from Central America, in Francisco Sarabia, Chiapas state, Mexico March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jacob Garcia
March 8, 2019
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A cargo truck without license plates careened off a road in southern Mexico and turned over, killing at least 25 people inside, state officials said Thursday night.
Nearly 30 people were reported injured in the accident involving an approximately three-ton Ford Super Duty pick-up truck attached to a cargo container, according to a statement from the Chiapas attorney general’s office.
The crash happened around dusk on a highway about 25 miles (41 km) northeast of Tuxtla-Gutierrez, the capital of southern Chiapas state which borders Guatemala.
Officials did not give a breakdown of the victims’ nationalities but said they were Central Americans. Chiapas is a major transit point for migrants, especially from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, as many trek through Mexico on their way to the U.S. border.
Media reported that investigators are considering the possibility that the driver of the truck lost control due to a mechanical failure, citing other state authorities.
(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Nick Macfie)
