At least 54 people were killed in southern Mexico on Thursday when the truck they were hiding in overturned on the way. Dozens of people were injured, several in critical condition, authorities said.
The accident happened near Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of the southern state of Chiapas. According to the authorities, the driver lost control of the wheel when he made a sharp turn at high speed, after which the tractor and trailer overturned. The trailer door flew open, ejecting the people in the back. The driver survived the accident and is on the run.
“The truck made a turn, and because of the weight of all the people in the trailer, we all flew along,” said a man from Guatemala who survived the accident. “The trailer couldn’t handle the weight of the people.”
Video footage shows rows of bodies covered in sheets. The emergency services also help many injured people.
Chiapas borders Guatemala and is on the transit route of migrants heading from Central America to the United States. Most of the victims came from Guatemala. The governments of Guatemala and El Salvador say they are investigating how many of their compatriots were involved in the accident.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Twitter that he was saddened by this “hugely painful incident”.