A tragic railway accident in the southern state of Oaxaca has claimed the lives of at least 13 people, an incident likely to revive opposition criticisms regarding the rapidity and management of the country's key government projects.
The accident took place on the trans-isthmus railway, a line built to link the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean across the narrowest part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This initiative was designed to provide an alternative rail cargo route to the Panama Canal, aimed at driving regional growth in the area.
“We are going to thoroughly investigate what caused this accident,” stated the national leader.
The president confirmed that, of the approximately 250 individuals on board, another 98 were injured, with five of those in critical condition. The leader noted plans to travel to Oaxaca to speak with those affected.
Flagship Project of Past Leadership
The Interoceanic Train was a central infrastructure project of the former leader, whose term ended the previous year. This project was intimately linked to his government's economic vision for the southeastern region.
Another multi-billion dollar train initiative from that era, a tourist and cargo loop around the Yucatán Peninsula, was also central to the broader strategy to kickstart the economy of a relatively poorer part of the country.
Construction Oversight and Worries
The construction of both railway systems was supervised by the nation's military, marking a significant expansion of its responsibilities in national infrastructure. They were built at an accelerated speed, beating forecasts to be at least partly opened before the end of that government.
However, this accelerated timeline had also fueled significant questions over construction quality.
- Sunday's crash was the third such incident on the Interoceanic Train in the current year.
- This includes an earlier accident this month when a train smashed into a truck at a crossing.
- The other major rail project has also had a couple of non-deadly derailments.
Demands for Investigation and Halt
In the aftermath of the disaster, the head of a primary political opposition demanded an urgent pause in the building and running of all similar projects.
This pause was proposed while awaiting a full safety audit. The party declared that the situation "calls for prompt explanations."
In reply, the head of state maintained that the train had been operating in complete compliance with all safety requirements. Promises were given that the government would remain "accountable" in both the construction and running of these strategic projects.
