At least 29 killed, 19 injured in tragic Oaxaca bus accident

A bus that crashed into a ravine on Wednesday morning in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca has left at least 29 people dead and 19 others injured, according to Mexican authorities. 

The bus, which was en route from Mexico City to Yosondua in Western Oaxaca, was traveling through the town of Magdalena Penasco when it crashed at around 6:30 a.m., according to the state interior minister Jesus Romero. 

Photographs of the scene show the bus lying on its side at the bottom of the cliff as rescue workers try to save the passengers who were inside. 

27 people dead after a bus plunged into an abyss in Mexico pic.twitter.com/tGyPxto1e7

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Officials said that at least 29 individuals died and 19 others were injured in the accident, including several minors. At least 14 of those injured were transported to a hospital in the town of Tlaxiaco, while five others were airlifted to a hospital in Oaxaca City, officials said. 

While the cause of the accident is still under investigation, it is believed that the driver lost control of the bus after losing its brakes, causing it to roll over and fall into a ravine. The incident is being investigated by authorities. 

The identities of the victims have not yet been released as officials continue working to identify them.

“We deeply regret the loss of human lives in the bus accident in Magdalena Penasco. We are supporting the affected families and coordinating efforts for the prompt attention of the injured," said Governor Salomon Jara Cruz. 

A similar incident took place in April when a tourist bus fell more than 49 feet (15 meters) down a cliff in Jalisco, Mexico killing 18 people and injuring 33 others. According to a preliminary investigation the bus might have had a mechanical failure, which caused it to deviate from the highway.