26 people die in fiery crash of freight truck and passenger van in northern Mexico
According to the Mexican authorities, 26 people were killed in a violent highway accident in northern Mexico involving a people carrier and a truck
MEXICO CITY — According to the authorities, 26 people were killed in a violent highway accident involving a pickup truck and a truck in northern Mexico on Sunday.
Prosecutors and police in the northern border state of Tamaulipas said the death toll was a preliminary tally, apparently due to the sheer volume of the wreckage and the fire that destroyed the truck and cargo trailer.
The taxi that towed the cargo trailer was not found at the scene of the accident, suggesting the driver may have unhitched it and fled.
The accident happened on a highway near the state capital Ciudad Victoria and the cause is under investigation, officials said.
Local media reported that many of the victims may have been members of an extended family returning from an outing. However, the authorities did not confirm this.
In the past, the high death toll in similar accidents in Mexico has often been attributed to overloaded vehicles associated with migrant smuggling.
