Tragedy in Mexico after a bus crashed into a ravine on Wednesday morning, killing at least 29 people and injuring another 19, state officials reported.
The bus, traveling from Mexico City through southern Oaxaca state, crashed at around 6:30 a.m. when the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle in the town of Magdalena Penasco, according to the state interior minister.
Some 14 people were hospitalized in the town of Tlaxiaco, while five others were airlifted to the state capital of Oaxaca City, officials said.
“Yes, actually, I think most of those who travel is for shopping and they take this bus to come back. We can’t confirm where the other passengers came from because, actually, we think many people from here go to Mexico City to do some shopping and with this (transport) service, they come back,” said Alfonso Zarate, Mayor.
“Since the moment the bus set off and was near Puebla it started to fail. They were checking it and stuff but still, the driver kept on with the travel. In Tlaxiaco, there was again another failure. And from there to here this happened. Apparently, the brakes didn’t work,” said Diego Ivan Ruiz, a 19-year-old survivor.
Inter-state bus accidents are regular occurrences in Mexico. In April, 18 people were killed and dozens were injured when a bus fell off a cliff in western Mexico.
