At least 25 Central American migrants die in Mexico accident

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico – Authorities in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas say at least 25 Central American migrants died when the truck they were travelling in overturned.

The Chiapas state prosecutor’s office said in a statement late Thursday that 29 others were injured in the accident. It appears the driver lost control of the truck around 6 p.m. near the town of Francisco Sarabia in the municipality of Soyalo.

The injured were transported to hospitals as authorities investigated the cause of the crash.

In a statement, Guatemala’s foreign ministry said 23 of those killed were Guatemalan migrants.

Photographs on social media show an overturned truck in an unpopulated area, with dozens of people lying on the ground nearby. Some of the wounded appeared to be waiting for help from paramedics.

The Guatemala foreign ministry said its consulates in the area were assisting those affected.

Chiapas is the historic entry point for Central Americans arriving in Mexico from the neighbouring country.

The normal migratory flow has attracted additional attention recently with the arrival of several large migrant caravans from Central America during the past year.