Seventeen dead, dozens injured after bus transporting Colombian migrants loses control in Mexico

At least 17 people were killed and more than 40 injured in a bus accident carrying Haitian, Colombian and Venezuelan migrants in southern Mexico, Sunday afternoon, Feb. 19.

The vehicle reportedly collided after the driver lost control of the vehicle, presumably due to brake failure. The accident occurred on the highway between Cuacnopalan and Oaxaca.

Some reports claim that at least 10 Colombian citizens died in the accident. The Colombian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday the death of a 56-year-old citizen who was recognized by his son, the entity said in a statement.

The information added that three other Colombians, a 36-year-old woman and two men aged 23 and 37, respectively, are at the Tehuacán General Hospital "with a serious but stable diagnosis."

The Mexican authorities also identified another 30-year-old Colombian who "is in good health" and is at the disposal of the Oaxaca immigration authorities.

Likewise, the Colombian Foreign Ministry indicated that through the Consulate in Mexico City, it remains "alert and in contact with the authorities and the General Hospital of Tehuacán de Puebla to learn about new reports of injured and deceased people and thus provide all the necessary assistance and pertinent."

The governor of Puebla, Sergio Salomón, explained on Twitter that the accident occurred in neighboring Oaxaca, but pointed out the deployment of "State resources" to "provide all the facilities and care for the injured... Unfortunately, some people have died."

The Mexican authorities raised the number of migrants killed on Monday to 17, coming from Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, as a result of the accident that occurred on Sunday on a highway in Puebla.

Last week, the Colombian Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of a Colombian injured in the accident of a bus carrying migrants in Panama, which left at least 39 dead, including children, and several seriously injured.