Train derailment South of Juárez leaves multiple migrants injured; one child dead
JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Juárez, Chihuahua, and Mexican authorities responded to reports of a train derailment Tuesday night.
According to a statement sent by the City of Juárez, personnel from the Civil Protection Department responded to a call at 11:01 p.m. last night.
"The train derailment happened at kilometer 302 of the Juárez-Chihuahua highway, between Villa Ahumada and Samalayuca," said Sergio Rodríguez, Director of Juárez Civil Protection.
Officials reported that in this incident left 13 train cars overturned, of which five were transporting sulfuric acid.
A leak was detected in one of these tanks with a capacity of approximately 53,000 liters, identified with the number 1830. The leak was provisionally controlled using a wooden stake.
Rodriguez also said a tank car transporting chlorine gas suffered structural damage, although no leaks of this chemical were reported.
The director of Civil Protection added that during the search efforts in the area, it was reported that several migrants were traveling on top of the train.
After a pedestrian search, they located four people, to whom pre-hospital care was provided.
Local and federal reports said the injured people are:
- A woman originally from Venezuela, with a right foot amputation and hip pain. She was transferred to the General Hospital
- A 17-year-old male was also transported to the General Hospital
- A 7-year-old boy had direct trauma in the head; he was turned over to the National Migration Institute along with his dad
Rodríguez said that members of the Fire Department, the Municipal Rescue Department, the Red Cross, URGE, Chihuahua State Police, Chihuahua Attorney General's Office, as well as the National Migration Institute, the National Guard, participated in the operation, and Ferromex which oversees all cargo trains in Mexico.
Authorities continue with the investigations to determine the causes of the derailment and ensure that no more people are affected.
