A derailment of the Tren Interoceánico in Nizanda, Oaxaca, on December 28, 2025, left 13 people dead and 98 injured, five in serious condition. The Secretaría de Marina deployed a large rescue operation, while federal and state authorities coordinate victim care. President Claudia Sheinbaum ordered immediate support for the affected families.
The accident happened in the morning of December 28, 2025, on Line Z of the Tren Interoceánico, connecting Coatzacoalcos to Salina Cruz. The train, consisting of two locomotives and four cars, was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members when the main locomotive derailed and fell down a slope of about seven meters, complicating rescue efforts.
The Secretaría de Marina (Semar) reported deploying 360 naval personnel, 20 vehicles, four ground ambulances, three air ambulances, and a tactical drone to locate and assist victims. 'From the first moment, immediate attention is provided to users and coordination is maintained with local authorities', the agency stated in a press release.
Of the 98 injured, 36 required hospitalization. Five in serious condition were transferred to the General Zone Hospital in Salina Cruz. Another 29 are being treated at the IMSS Bienestar Hospital in Matías Romero, 22 at the one in Juchitán, and 11 at Ixtepec. Among the identified injured are Martha Lidia Santiago Antonio, Liliana del Carmen González Cruz, and others in Juchitán.
President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the toll and sent Navy Secretary Raymundo Morales and Deputy Human Rights Secretary Arturo Medina to the site to assist families. 'I have given instructions for [...] them to go to the place and attend to the families personally', she wrote on X. Governor Salomón Jara reported activation of protocols and an operational module with the National Guard and firefighters.
The Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) launched an investigation to determine causes, coordinating with the Criminal Investigation Agency. Politicians like Luisa María Alcalde and Kenia López Rabadán offered condolences and called for a thorough probe. The Tren Interoceánico, inaugurated in December 2023 by Andrés Manuel López Obrador, aims to link the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific, but this incident highlights operational challenges.
