OAXACA, MX – In a tragic turn of events, a bus accident in the southern region of Mexico resulted in the death of 18 migrants, predominantly from Venezuela and Haiti, early Friday. According to the state prosecutors of Oaxaca, among the deceased were two women and three children, while another 27 individuals were injured. The health status of the injured remains undisclosed.
The bus, which was transporting 55 migrants, was found toppled on its side on a serpentine section of the highway, as per the pictures shared by the Oaxaca state police. The cause behind the mishap is currently being investigated.
This unfortunate incident is the latest in a series of migrant deaths in Mexico, coinciding with a marked increase in the number of migrants making their way towards the U.S. border. Regular buses often being the target of immigration agents’ raids, migrants and smugglers are forced to opt for perilous alternatives such as unregulated buses, trains, or freight trucks.
Just last week, a freight truck carrying 10 Cuban migrants met with an accident on a highway in Chiapas, a state neighboring Oaxaca and close to the Guatemalan border. The crash resulted in their death and left 17 others seriously injured. The National Immigration Institute revealed that all the deceased were females, including one minor.
The institute further stated that the driver of the truck, who absconded from the scene, appeared to have been speeding, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. Migrants without proper documentation are generally barred from buying tickets for regular buses by Mexican authorities. Consequently, those unable to hire smugglers often resort to poorly-driven, ill-maintained buses or hitchhike on passing trucks.
Another accident last week in Chiapas led to the death of two Central American migrants and injuries to 27 others when a truck flipped over on a highway. Additionally, two Central American migrants lost their lives in Coahuila near the Texas border last week while trying to board a moving train.