At least 20 dead after Mexico City commuter train splits in overpass collapse

Mexico City metro rail overpass collapses

(Image credit: Pedro Pardo/AFP/Getty Images)

At least 20 people were killed and dozens others hurt when a Mexico City Metro rail overpass collapsed onto a road Monday night right as a train was passing overhead, Mexican authorities said early Tuesday. "A support beam gave way" on the Metro 12 line overpass, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said, adding that a car is trapped underneath the rubble on the road below and there are still people trapped on the train, which split in two and was suspended precariously, hindering rescue efforts. "We don't know if they are alive," Sheinbaum said of the trapped passengers.

This is the third serious accident on the five-decade-old Mexico City Metro, one of the largest and busiest commuter rail systems in the world. The other two, in 2015 and 2019, involved two trains colliding. The 12 line, built when Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard was Mexico City's mayor, has been dogged by allegations of irregularities during its construction, The Associated Press reports. "What has happened on the metro today is a terrible tragedy," Ebrard tweeted. "Of course, the causes must be investigated and responsibilities defined. I reiterate I am at the disposal of authorities to help in whatever is necessary."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.