This Monday, the Government began investigations to determine the causes of the derailment of the Interoceanic Corridor train of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec that occurred in Oaxaca and left at least 13 dead, including a minor, while efforts continue to locate a person who remains missing.
During the presidential press conference, Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, head of the Secretary of the Navy, explained that the Railway Transportation Agency will evaluate the events in conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) and the State Prosecutor’s Office.
“Everything is under chain of custody, including the electronic recorder known by its brand name as Pulset,” he explained, detailing that it works like a “railway black box.”
Likewise, he confirmed that 13 people lost their lives in the accident that occurred at 09:28 local time (15:28 GMT) on line Z of the “Istmeño” train, between the towns of Nizanda and Chivela, on the Salina Cruz–Coatzacoalcos route, in the southern state of Oaxaca.
“One of the locomotives of the Interoceanic train derailed, which led to the four cars leaving the tracks,” he explained.
He also detailed that the first car slid on the slope at a depth of 6.5 meters, while the second car was partially suspended and the other two cars were left without serious damage. On board, he said, there were about 250 people traveling.
According to the admiral, nine people were treated on site, 109 were treated in hospital, of which 44 remain hospitalized, and the death of 13 people was confirmed.
“Of those 13 people we have located 12 and one continues in rescue efforts,” he stated.
Morales Ángeles indicated that from the first moment the emergency protocols were activated and that the Secretary of the Navy, the Red Cross, the Secretary of National Defense, Civil Protection and the Southeast Railway Group participated.
Likewise, he pointed out that before the accident the usual inspection of the road was carried out with a scout vehicle.
“On this occasion, the explorer reported that the tracks were in good operating condition for the train to run,” he stated.
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Injured people hospitalized but not at risk of death after train derailment
For his part, the director of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), Zoé Robledo, reported that there are no patients at risk of death.
“There is no life-threatening patient at this time,” he said, detailing that 16 people remain hospitalized in Salina Cruz, some with fractures that will undergo surgery.
In the same sense, the director of the IMSS-Wellness, Alejandro Svarch Pérez, assured that “care is guaranteed” and that all patients have permanent medical follow-up.
For her part, President Claudia Sheinbaum sent her condolences to the families of the deceased and announced three priority actions to address the emergency.
“Number one, attention to the victims and their families,” secondly, “clarifying very rigorously what happened” and, third, “guaranteeing the safety of the interoceanic train.” He added that he will continue to inform as the investigations progress.
Finally, he announced that he would later travel to Oaxaca to speak with the families of the victims.
With information from EFE
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