Updated May 4, 2021 - World

Subway train derails in Mexico City, killing more than 20 people

Rebecca Falconer

Rescue workers gather at the site of a metro train accident after an overpass for a metro partially collapsed in Mexico City on May 3, 2021. — Rescue workers gather at the site of a metro train accident after an overpass for a metro partially collapsed in Mexico City on Monday night. Photo: Pedro /AFP via Getty Images

A subway train derailed in Mexico City after an overpass partially collapsed onto a road Monday night, killing at least 23 people and wounding dozens of others.

Details: Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters early Tuesday that children were among the dead, and 49 wounded people had been taken to hospitals.

The crash happened at 10:25 p.m on Line 12 of the subway system, which opened in 2012, at the Olivos Station in the capital's southeast, according to La Jornada.
Milenio TV broadcast footage showing the overpass collapsing onto cars on the road below it.
Sheinbaum said a "support beam gave way," causing the overpass to collapse, AP reports.
The rescue operation paused at midnight as workers brought in a crane to support the "very weak" train, per AP.

What they're saying: Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who was mayor of Mexico City when Line 12 was constructed, in a Twitter post called the crash a "tragedy" and said "the causes must be investigated and responsibilities defined."

The big picture: Mexico City's subway system is the second-biggest in the Americas after New York City, handling over 4 million passengers per day, according to the New York Times.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Add Axios on Google

Subway train derails in Mexico City, killing more than 20 people

What to read next