At least 53 people were killed and dozens more injured after a vehicle reportedly carrying over 100 migrants from Central America rolled over and hit a bridge in Mexico.
According to reports, at least 107 migrants had been packed by human traffickers into a trailer attached to the vehicle before it crashed in Chiapas on Thursday. On top of the 53 deaths, 21 people were hospitalized and three are in critical condition.
Following the accident, survivor Celso Pacheco – who was trying to reach the United States – claimed that he and the other migrants from Guatemala and Honduras had been dangerously packed into the trailer, with as many as 10 children among them. Pacheco said it felt like the vehicle was speeding when it lost control, possibly due to the weight of the trailer.
Dozens of white body bags were photographed by the side of the road where the accident took place and blood stains could be seen. The migrants had reportedly paid between $2,500 and $3,500 to be smuggled from the border with Guatemala to Puebla, where they were then planning to pay to be smuggled into the US.
Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei issued a statement following the tragedy, saying: “I deeply regret the tragedy in the State of Chiapas and I sympathize with the families of the victims to whom we offer all the necessary consular assistance, including repatriations.”