6 Dead, Including 3 Migrants, in Road Accident in Oaxaca, Mexico

Six people, including two Ecuadorian migrants and one Dominican, died in a car accident on Sunday night on federal highway 190 in Oaxaca, Mexico. The accident involved three vehicles: two cars and a bicycle. The victims were one woman and five men, three of whom were identified as migrants.

The Oaxaca Prosecutor's Office reported that the fatal collision occurred on a stretch of road between Santo Domingo Zanatepec and General Pascual Fuentes. Five men and one woman were killed, but authorities did not specify the identities or nationalities of the other three victims.

The Migrant Assistance Prosecutor's Office is investigating the case. Road accidents involving migrants are increasingly common in Mexico, with several similar incidents reported in recent months.

On April 4th, two Cameroonian migrants died and four others were injured in a traffic accident. The same day, eleven Ecuadorian migrants were injured in another incident in Chihuahua. The National Migration Institute also reported locating 184 migrants in separate events in the states of Quintana Roo and Zacatecas on Monday.

Why this matters: The tragic accident in Oaxaca occurs in the context of a significant increase in irregular migration, with the Mexican government detecting more than 782,000 people in this situation in 2023, a 77% increase compared to previous years. The rising number of accidents involving migrants highlights the dangers they face during their journeys and the need for improved safety measures and support.

Authorities found beer cans ejected from one of the vehicles involved in the accident, suggesting alcohol may have been a factor in the crash. The highway was shut down for several hours due to the severity of the incident, with two people seriously injured and rushed to the hospital along with three others.

Key Takeaways

• 6 people, including 2 Ecuadorians and 1 Dominican, died in a car accident in Oaxaca, Mexico.
• The accident involved 3 vehicles: 2 cars and a bicycle, on federal highway 190.
• Migrant Assistance Prosecutor's Office is investigating, as road accidents involving migrants are common.
• Similar incidents reported in recent months, with 2 Cameroonians and 11 Ecuadorians injured.
• Accident occurred amid a 77% increase in irregular migration in Mexico in 2023.