On December 28, 2025, a tragic accident occurred near Nizanda, Oaxaca, Mexico, when the Interoceanic Train derailed, resulting in fourteen fatalities and 97 injuries. As of January 1, 2026, the death toll had increased to 14 following the death of a 73-year-old woman who succumbed to injuries from the crash. The train was carrying 250 people and derailed while navigating a bend in the Asuncion Ixtaltepec region.
The Mexican Navy, which supervises the railway line, reported that 241 passengers and nine crew members were on board during the accident. Among the injured, five are in a critical state, and 36 continue to receive medical attention. An additional 139 individuals were reported safe.
Photographs from the crash site revealed train cars that had plunged down a steep hill into a thick jungle below, with other cars lying overturned. The remote location and challenging access to the site hindered rescue efforts.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered the navy secretary to visit the area and lend support to the affected families. According to President Sheinbaum, “The train and infrastructure were working correctly.”
An investigation has been launched by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office to identify the cause of the accident. The surviving train operator was questioned as part of the investigation. As President Sheinbaum stated in a press conference on Dec. 30, “The prosecutor’s office has already interviewed the operator and several other people.” She cautioned against conjecture about the train’s speed prior to the completion of the investigation.
The train had left Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, bound for Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, at the time of the derailment.
Among those lost in the accident was 15-year-old Luisa. Her father, Hector Serrano Garcia, mourned with family members at an Oaxaca funeral home. Prior to confirmation of Luisa’s death, her grandmother had issued a desperate plea on social media for assistance in locating her.
Ana Guadalupe Fabre and her 16-year-old son, who were returning to Veracruz after celebrating Christmas with family, were also injured in the derailment.
One passenger recounted that the train “was coming very fast” moments before the derailment, prompting questions about the speed of the train on the curved track segment.
Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara Cruz expressed his condolences to families who had lost loved ones in the accident, characterizing the event as an unfortunate tragedy.
The Interoceanic Train, a mixed passenger and freight service, was inaugurated in 2023 during the presidency of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The railway line was a significant infrastructure project aimed at modernizing the railway link across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a land bridge that connects Mexico’s Pacific and Gulf coasts.
The railway, connecting the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz, is an essential part of the Mexican government’s strategy to transform the Isthmus into a pivotal trade corridor. This initiative involved the expansion of ports, railways, and industrial infrastructure to create a route competitive with the Panama Canal.
This derailment was not the first incident on the Interoceanic Train route. On December 20, a train on the same line collided with a cargo truck crossing the tracks, although there were no fatalities.
The railway line, which crosses challenging terrain through the southern states, was intended to provide an alternative route for goods transfer between the two oceans, reducing reliance on other transit corridors.
President Sheinbaum, a political ally and successor to Lopez Obrador, continues to support the infrastructure projects started under the previous administration.
Survivors and victims’ families are seeking answers regarding the cause of the derailment. The government has pledged a thorough investigation while prioritizing care for the injured and support for families in mourning.