Thirteen people were killed and 98 injured when the Interoceanic Train derailed near Nizanda, Oaxaca, Mexico, on Sunday, December 28, 2025. The train was carrying 250 people when it went off the rails while passing through a curve in the Asuncion Ixtaltepec area.
The Mexican Navy, which oversees the railway line, reported that nine crew members and 241 passengers were aboard at the time of the accident. Of those injured, five remain in critical condition, while 36 were still receiving medical care. Another 139 people were reported to be out of danger.
Images from the scene showed train cars that had fallen off a steep hill into dense jungle below, while other cars lay toppled on their side. The difficult access to the site complicated rescue efforts, as emergency units struggled to reach the remote location.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum directed the navy secretary to travel to the area and assist the families of those affected. “The train and infrastructure were working correctly,” Sheinbaum said, cautioning that “we shouldn’t speculate” about the cause of the derailment.
Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office opened an investigation to determine what caused the accident. The president warned against speculation about the train’s speed before investigators complete their work.
The train had departed from Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, and was heading to Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, when the derailment occurred. The route links the Pacific Ocean with the Gulf of Mexico as part of a strategic freight corridor.
Among the victims was 15-year-old Luisa, whose father Hector Serrano Garcia gathered with family members at a funeral home in Oaxaca. The teenager’s grandmother had pleaded on social media for help finding her granddaughter before receiving confirmation of her death.
Ana Guadalupe Fabre and her 16-year-old son were also aboard the train, returning home to Veracruz after spending Christmas with relatives. Both were injured in the crash.
A passenger described the moments before the derailment, saying the train “was coming very fast.” The passenger’s account raised questions about the train’s speed on the curved section of track.
Oaxaca Governor Salomon Jara Cruz offered condolences to families who lost loved ones in the accident. The governor expressed his government’s sympathy for those affected by what he called an unfortunate tragedy.
The Interoceanic Train, which carries both passengers and freight, was inaugurated in 2023 under then-President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. The railway line was developed as a major infrastructure project designed to modernize the rail link across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, a land bridge connecting Mexico’s Pacific and Gulf coasts.
The line linking Oaxaca and Veracruz states represents a key component of the Mexican government’s strategy to develop the Isthmus into a strategic trade corridor. The initiative involved expanding ports, railways and industrial infrastructure with the goal of creating a route that could compete with the Panama Canal.
This was not the first incident on the Interoceanic Train route. On December 20, a train on the same line collided with a cargo truck attempting to cross the tracks, though that incident resulted in no deaths.
The Interoceanic Train project was part of a broader push by Lopez Obrador to develop southeast Mexico through major infrastructure initiatives.
The route traverses challenging terrain through the southern states, connecting the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast. The railway line was intended to provide an alternative shipping route for goods moving between the two oceans, reducing dependence on other transit corridors.
Sheinbaum, Lopez Obrador’s political ally and successor, has maintained support for the infrastructure projects begun under the previous administration.
Survivors and families of victims demanded answers about what caused the train to leave the tracks. The government promised a thorough investigation while prioritizing care for the injured and support for grieving families.