Mexico Freight Truck Crash Kills At Least 10 Hiding Cuban Migrants

Tragedy struck in southern Mexico as a cargo truck, covertly transporting migrants, overturned on a highway, killing 10 Cuban migrants and leaving 25 others injured, according to Al Jazeera.

The incident occurred early on a Sunday morning in the state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala.

According to a confidential source within the prosecutor's office who spoke to AFP, the victims were predominantly women, with one being a minor, and they appeared to be Cuban migrants.

This portion of the highway, situated along the Pacific coast between the towns of Pijijiapan and Tonala, is frequently traversed by individuals seeking to reach the United States.

The Mexico Freight Truck Crash

The Mexico freight truck, which was ill-suited for carrying passengers, bore a body partially constructed from wood and was completely wrecked, with the belongings of the migrants scattered in the aftermath, per BBC.

The truck's driver, who was not authorized to transport so many people, fled the scene, as stated by the National Migration Institute (INM).

The INM reported that preliminary findings suggest the driver was speeding, lost control of the vehicle, and subsequently overturned.

Photographs from the scene depicted the truck with an open cargo box on its side, with the victims on the side of the highway.

An employee of the state prosecutor's office disclosed that the migrants had been hitchhiking on passing vehicles.

In Mexico, authorities generally prohibit migrants lacking proper documents from traveling on buses. Consequently, those without the financial means to hire smugglers often resort to walking alongside highways or catching rides on passing trucks.

This tragic incident is part of a series of migrant fatalities in Mexico amid a surge in individuals traveling toward the US border.

Mexico Road Accidents Involving Migrants

Road accidents involving migrants are not uncommon in Mexico, where many people journey through the country using unauthorized and poorly maintained vehicles.

On the previous Saturday, a migrant from Ecuador lost their life, and ten others from Colombia and Guatemala sustained injuries in a van operated by Mexico's immigration agency when it collided with a bus in Mexicali, AP reports.

Just a few days prior, in Chiapas, a truck flipped over on the highway, leading to the deaths of two Central American migrants and injuries to 27 more.

The Migration Institute disclosed that 52 migrants were crammed into the overcrowded truck when the driver lost control and the vehicle overturned.

The injured, including six children, were subsequently taken to the hospital and granted legal asylum status as victims of a crime on Mexican soil.

Other incidents involving migrant fatalities on the journey north to the US-Mexico border have occurred in recent months, involving various modes of transportation.

These accidents are only one of the many dangers migrants and asylum seekers encounter as they undertake their perilous journeys, which include navigating treacherous jungle terrain, evading criminal organizations, and facing the risk of extended detention.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: 10 Cuban migrants killed in Mexico road accident - From Reuters