CULIACAN (AFP) – A fiery collision between a double-decker bus and a truck left 19 people dead and 22 injured on Tuesday in northwestern Mexico, authorities said.
Officials were seen removing remains from the charred wreckage of the bus, which had been travelling from the city of Guadalajara in the western state of Jalisco to Los Mochis in Sinaloa.
“Nineteen lifeless bodies have been counted,” attorney general of Sinaloa state Sara Quinonez said in a video posted on social media, adding that it would take time to identify the victims.
The truck and the bus carrying nearly 50 people collided head-on before catching fire, director of civil protection in Sinaloa Roy Navarrete said at a press conference.
Authorities were investigating the cause of the pre-dawn accident on a highway in the municipality of Elota.
Deadly road smashes are common in Mexico, often due to high speeds, poor vehicle conditions or driver fatigue.
Crashes involving freight trucks have also increased on the country’s highways.
