A tanker truck and a bus were involved in a huge accident that took the life of several people in the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico. Authorities initially announced that the accident killed around 18 people. However, new information about the bus crash, which happened last Saturday, has revealed that the death toll has now reached 20 people killed.

Authorities are still investigating the accident. The Associated Press reported that questions have emerged that it may have been the double-tanker fuel truck that caused the incident, which happened on the highway from Ciudad Victoria to Monterrey.

Both vehicles were completely burned as the tanker truck was carrying petroleum products at the time of the collision. Police showed photos from the accident, including the smoking charred remains of the bus, which carried the majority of the people who died from the accident.

Eight of the crash victims came from the state of Hidalgo, while 11 were from the gulf state of Veracruz. It is still not known where the 20th person killed hailed from, according to authorities.

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More Charred Remains Found in Deadly Bus Crash

Photos from the incident showed that the wreckages from the two vehicles had burned through the night. This has complicated the recovery efforts as the original death toll was only estimated at 18 people. Now, authorities have recovered around 20 bodies.

Authorities noted that the bus was carrying passengers from Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, to Monterrey, the capital of the state of Nuevo Leon. There had been concerns that many of the victims were part of a contingent of migrant laborers. However, the state government of Hidalgo, where some of the victims were from, stated that the bus simply just picked up anybody who tried flagging it down on its way north to Monterrey.

One Fuel Tanker May Have Gotten Loose, Causing the Crash

The fuel truck was towing two tank trailers in tandem and had set out from the state of Hidalgo, passed by Tamaulipas, where the incident took place, and was on its way to Monterrey. State prosecutors released a statement saying one of those fuel tanks may have come loose, causing the deadly crash. When one of the tankers came loose, it hit the bus and exploded. 

According to TeleSur English, that tanker was carrying the chemical called varsol, which is considered to be a chemically stable petroleum derivative used to remove grease.

Washington Post reported that these double-container freight trucks have already been involved in numerous accidents, and calls for banning them have already been made in the past. It was also noted that weight restrictions and safety inspections in Mexico are lax, which often leads to these accidents.

The driver of the tanker truck had apparently survived and is now under police investigation.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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