At least thirteen passengers lose their lives and ninety-eight hurt in train crash in Mexico.

A deadly train crash in the southern state of Oaxaca has caused the fatalities of at least 13 people, an incident sure to fuel opposition criticisms regarding the pace and handling of the country's major public works projects.

The disaster happened on the Interoceanic Train, a route built to join the Atlantic and Pacific across the thinnest stretch of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This project was created to establish an different freight railway path to the Panama Canal, intended to promote economic development in the area.

“We will thoroughly investigate what caused this tragedy,” affirmed the head of state.

The leader confirmed that, of the some 250 individuals on board, another 98 were injured, with five of those in critical condition. The official noted plans to visit Oaxaca to speak with those affected.

Key Undertaking of Past Leadership

The Interoceanic Train was a central infrastructure project of the former leader, whose time in office finished the prior year. This rail line was closely associated with his government's strategic goals for the southern region.

Another multi-billion dollar train initiative from that period, a tourist and cargo loop around the Yucatán Peninsula, was also central to the wider plan to kickstart the economic fortunes of a relatively poorer part of the country.

Building Management and Safety Concerns

The building of both railway systems was supervised by the armed forces, marking a notable increase of its role in public projects. They were built at an accelerated rate, beating expectations to be at least partly launched before the end of that presidency.

However, this rushed timetable had concurrently sparked persistent questions over construction quality.

• Sunday's derailment was the third such incident on the Interoceanic Train this year.
• This encompasses an prior accident this month when a train struck a truck at a level crossing.
• The other major rail project has also experienced several non-deadly derailments.

Calls for Audit and Pause

In the wake of the disaster, the leader of a major opposition party called for an prompt suspension in the development and management of all comparable projects.

This stoppage was requested while awaiting a comprehensive safety audit. The party stated that the situation "requires immediate answers."

In response, the national leader insisted that the train had been running in complete accordance with all safety requirements. Assurances were given that the government would be "accountable" in both the development and running of these national undertakings.