A subway collision which occurred shortly before midnight in Mexico City killed a male passenger and injured 41 others

The two-train collision disrupted service on the metro service which serves over 20 million people.

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum announced the accident via her Twitter. Sheinbaum said the incident, which occurred around 11:37 in the evening, was caused by one of the trains accidentally reversing into the other at the central Tacubaya station.

One train was said to be heading for the garage to prepare for Wednesday's morning service when the accident occurred.

Emergency institutions responded to the scene immediately.

Twenty-five people received light to medium injuries and were treated at the scene. 16 others were immediately taken to hospitals nearby to receive proper medical care. Sheinbaum said none of the injuries sustained by victims were life-threatening.

Hours later, Rosa Icela Rodriguez, Sheinbaum's chief of staff, announced only four remained in hospitals.

Authorities reported the two unnamed drivers of the train were among those injured.

Mexico City Metro director Florencia Serrania said both black boxes were turned over to the city prosecutor's office and will be used in further investigations. Both black boxes were reported to be intact.

Serrania said the line is expected to be ready for service by Thursday morning after workers finish clearing the track.

Video footage of the accident showed rescuers and civilians trying to rescue people stuck in the jammed Mexican subway cars.

Witnesses near the collision said they heard a loud boom that resembled a transformer's explosion that was quickly followed by burned odor. They also said people who emerged from the station a moment later looked dazed and in shock.

Metro director Florencia Serrania said five cars were damaged on each train.

Emergency officers arrived at the scene 10 minutes later.

Tacubaya Station

The Tacubaya station is one of the most vital stations for Mexico's Metro system. It hosts three of the metro's 12 lines. The recent accident left hundreds waiting for buses outside the station.

Metro Authorities said service on Line 1 will be reduced until further notice. 45 buses were deployed to accommodate affected commuters.

According to official figures, Mexico City's Metro system served more than 1.6 billion passengers in 2018. Official figures said it currently serves about 4.4 million a day.

Other Accidents

The Mexico City Metro System is one of the largest and most transited metro systems in the world. It has also been the site of two grave accidents since it opened five decades ago.

In 2015, a metro train accidentally ran into a parked train at the platform at Oceania Station. The accident left 12 people injured. The accident was found to be caused by "double human error." No fatalities were reported.

In 1975, a train crashed into a parked train at the Viaducto station when it did not stop in time. 31 people were killed in the accident while 70 were left injured. The accident is still considered the worst railroad accident in Mexico City. The driver, Carlos Fernandez, was held responsible for the accident and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.