At least 13 persons are killed and 98 are injured in a Mexican train crash.

An Interoceanic Train carrying 250 passengers derailed in the southern state of Oaxaca, killing at least 13 people, according to Mexican police on Sunday.

The train was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members when it derailed close to the town of Nizanda, according to the Mexican Navy.

Of the passengers, 98 were hurt, including 36 who were requiring medical attention, while 139 were said to be safe.

Five of the injured were in severe condition, according to President Claudia Sheinbaum, who stated on X that senior authorities had been sent to the scene to support the relatives of the deceased.

Salomon Jara Cruz, the governor of Oaxaca, stated that state officials were working with federal agencies to help those impacted and offered his condolences to the families of those murdered in the disaster.

Attorney General Ernestina Godoy Ramos stated on social media that the Mexican Attorney General’s Office has already launched an inquiry into the event.

Part of the larger Interoceanic Corridor project, the Interoceanic Train was launched in 2023 under former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

The goal of the project was to update the rail connection between Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast and Salina Cruz, Mexico’s Pacific port, across the Tehuantepec Isthmus.

In order to create a route that may rival the Panama Canal, the Mexican government has worked to turn the isthmus into a vital commerce corridor by building more ports, railroads, and industrial infrastructure.

The train service is also a component of a larger initiative to boost economic growth in southern Mexico and increase passenger and freight rail.