AT LEAST 19 people have died following a horror head-on collision between a passenger bus and a freight lorry in Mexico.
A further 22 have been left injured as a result of the fireball crash, local authorities report.
AFPThe double-decker bus was reduced to a burnt-out metal frame following the collision[/caption]
AFPThe public transport vehicle went up in flames following the nasty crash[/caption]
ReutersFirefighters and forensic experts work near the charred vehicle[/caption]
Almost 50 people were said to be on board the bus when disaster struck at 5.15am local time on Tuesday.
The incident took place on a highway in the township of Elota, near the port city of Mazatland in northern Mexico, director of the state civil defence office Roy Navarrete said.
The bus had been travelling from the city of Guadalajara in the western state of Jalisco to Los Mochis in Sinaloa.
Local media report that the lorry overturned on the road when the bus drove into it, leading both vehicles to catch fire.
“Nineteen lifeless bodies have been counted,” Sara Quinonez, attorney general of Sinaloa state, said in a video posted on social media.
“We still do not have the total number of people who were travelling; we are in the process of comparing it with the (bus) company’s list,” she added, as quoted by Xinhua news agency.
Quinonez said it would take time to identify the remains after bodies were burnt beyond recognition, NDTV report.
Injured survivors are being treated at local hospitals while the cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Local media claim the highway was closed following the collision, with photos of the scene showing both vehicles reduced to burnt-out metal frames.
Deadly road smashes are common in Mexico, often due to high speeds, poor vehicle conditions or driver fatigue.
It’s also claimed that crashes involving freight trucks have also increased on the country’s highways.
AFPAn investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident[/caption]
ReutersThe tragedy happened along a coastal highway that connects the beach front cities of Mazatlan and Los Mochis[/caption]