49 migrants killed, dozens injured in truck crash in Mexico
At least 49 people being transported in a cargo truck were killed on Thursday in southern Mexico when the vehicle rolled over and crashed into a pedestrian bridge.
The accident took place in the state of Chiapas, and left 58 people injured. The passengers appeared to be migrants from Central America, The Associated Press reports. Luis Manuel Moreno, the head of the Chiapas state civil defense office, told reporters that some of the survivors said they were from Guatemala. One man who survived the crash, Celso Pacheco, told AP he estimates about 10 young children were on board.
Pacheco said it felt like the truck, heavy with so many people, was speeding before the crash. He told AP he was trying to reach the United States, but expects to be deported back to Guatemala. It is unclear if the driver survived the accident.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Several rescue workers told AP that several migrants fled the scene because they did not want to be detained by immigration officials. Mexico's National Immigration Institute said the survivors will be offered humanitarian visas, and the country will cover the funeral costs for victims. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called the deaths "very painful."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How powerful is Iran?
Today's big question Islamic republic is facing domestic dissent and 'economic peril' but has a vast military, dangerous allies and a nuclear threat
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Israel respond to Iran's direct attack?
Speed Read Iran’s weekend attack on Israel could escalate into a wider Middle East war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US, Israel brace for Iran retaliatory strikes
Speed Read An Iranian attack on Israel is believed to be imminent
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Congress honors real-life Rosie the Riveters
Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Outgunned Ukraine could fall, US general warns
Speed Read Without more US aid, Ukraine is at risk of losing the war
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published