A recent tragic bus crash in Zontecomatlan, Mexico, on Christmas Eve resulted in the loss of 10 lives, including one child, as the bus plummeted over 600 feet down an embankment. The bus was filled with passengers heading home for Christmas festivities when the accident occurred around 5pm local time.
Initially, reports indicated eight fatalities and 19 injuries, but the death toll has since increased to at least 10, with 32 passengers receiving medical treatment in various hospitals. The Zontecomatlan mayor’s office confirmed the deaths of nine adults and one child and stated that the injured individuals were taken to hospitals across Mexico by emergency services.
Authorities from the General Prosecutor’s Office of Justice of the State of Veracruz are conducting an investigation into the crash to determine its cause. The bus, en route from Mexico City to Chicontepec in Veracruz’s Huasteca region, veered off the road for unknown reasons. The driver, identified as Carlos Daniel Baez, is yet to be accounted for among the casualties.
State governors expressed their coordination in response to the accident, stating that 19 injured individuals have been transported for medical care while confirming eight fatalities. Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing at the crash site.