Baby among 26 killed in horror crash after lorry wipes out bus and …
At least 26 people have been killed after a lorry smashed into a minibus before bursting into flames.
Paramedics rushed to the scene on Sunday to find a baby - believed to be just a few months old - as one of the fatalities in the horror crash near the US-Mexican border.
The incident occurred on a highway near the capital of border state Tamaulipas, Ciudad Victoria.
Images from the scene pictured the minibus decimated by the collision as emergency services struggled to put out the flames.
Flames and the sheer volume of wreckage from the crash hampered officials’ access, meaning the death toll was only a preliminary count.
Smoke poured from the scene as the fiery wreckage sprawled across the scene (Image: MEXICAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Image)
The lorry’s cab, which was pulling the freight trailer, was not found at the scene with officials suspecting that the driver fled.
Many of the victims may have been members of an extended family according to reports from local media - but authorities are yet to confirm the claims.
All casualties are thought to be Mexicans as national IDs have been recovered from the scene, The Sun reported.
At least 26 have been killed in the tragic incident (Image: Keystone/Zuma/REX/Shutterstock)
Crashes of similar scale have historically been blamed on overloaded vehicles, often linked to migrant smuggling.
However, officials are still investigating the cause of the accident which took place at kilometre 80 of Highway 83, along the Hidalgo-Zaragoza stretch.
Despite the fiery debris sprawled across the scene, the highway remained open with drivers cautioned to drive with care.
The Governor of Tamaulipas, Américo Villarreal Anaya, expressed his deepest condolences to the loved ones of those involved in the incident.
Cops initially struggled to take a certain count of those who died due to the blaze (Image: MEXICAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Image)
He said in a statement: “I deeply regret the tragedy recorded this morning at km. 81 on the Güemez-Zaragoza highway, where several innocent people lost their lives. My condolences to their families.”
Anaya wrote in a message that they all “receive an affectionate hug and our condolences in these very difficult times.”
Follow the Daily Star US on Facebook
All the news, entertainment, sport and fun stuff you love about the Daily Star, brought to you by our American team.
Give the Daily Star US Facebook page a follow[2] to make sure you're not missing out.
References
- ^ Four killed in horror crash as colliding cars throw 'several people' into air (www.dailystar.co.uk)
- ^ Give the Daily Star US Facebook page a follow (www.facebook.com)