At least 21 people were killed in a devastating traffic accident on Wednesday along a highway connecting the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Puebla, according to a statement by Puebla's Interior Minister Samuel Aguilar.

The tragic incident, which involved three vehicles, occurred when a cement truck attempted to overtake another vehicle and crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with a passenger bus before crashing into a transport van, Mexican newspaper La Jornada reported.

Following the impact, the cement truck plunged into a nearby ravine and caught fire, intensifying the severity of the accident. Emergency responders rushed to the scene to assist survivors, with several individuals reportedly injured and receiving medical treatment. The total number of injured remains unspecified.

This latest highway tragedy adds to a troubling pattern of fatal crashes on Mexico’s remote and mountainous roads. In March of this year, 11 people died in a separate bus accident in Oaxaca. In 2023, another bus crash in the southern region claimed 29 lives after the vehicle veered off the road and into a ravine.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident as families of the victims await identification and formal updates. (ILKHA)