Death toll from bus accident in southern Mexico rises to 29

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - The death toll from a bus accident in southern Mexico has risen to 29, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

The accident happened near the city of Magdalena Penasco in Oaxaca state around 6 a.m. local time when the driver of a tourism bus from Mexico City lost control of the vehicle and it plunged into a ravine.

Initially, 27 deaths were reported, but two more passengers died hours later while being treated for their injuries.

According to reports, 15 women, 13 men and a one-year-old boy were killed. Nineteen survivors were taken to nearby hospitals in critical condition, including five minors.

Through his Twitter account, Oaxaca state Governor Salomon Jara Cruz pledged his support to the victims' relatives.

"We deeply regret the accident that occurred in Magdalena Penasco. Our government personnel are already working on the rescue actions and providing all the support to the injured people. We send our embrace and condolences to the families of the deceased, to whom we will also provide all our support to attend to their terrible loss," Cruz wrote.

Oaxaca State Highway Police director Toribio Lopez Sanchez said in a tweet that the accident was due to a mistake made by the driver and not a mechanical failure as previously reported. Videos of the driver losing control of the vehicle have also surfaced on social media.

The state government has established an aerial system to transport victims to hospitals. According to the Secretary of Government, four transfers of injured people aged 6, 8, 11 and 14 years old have occurred.