Bus plunges into ravine in Mexico killing eight passengers and injuring 19 in Veracruz state

25 December 2025 , 11:57

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Bus plunges into ravine in Mexico killing eight passengers and injuring 19 in Veracruz state

The vehicle, full of passengers said to be traveling home for Christmas, plunged more than 600 feet down an embankment before eight people were confirmed dead - and 19 people were left injured.

Eight people have been killed in a horrific bus crash in Mexico which has also left 19 people injured.

The accident happened at around 5 p.m. local time yesterday when the vehicle plunged more than 600 feet down an embankment in an area with bends in the road. Pictures from the scene showed the bus lying on its roof in the municipality of Zontecomatlan, in the eastern state of Veracruz.

The bus was full at the time of the accident, carrying many passengers believed to be travelling home for Christmas. Adults and children are said to be among the fatalities. Authorities launched a rescue mission at the crash site before confirming multiple deaths.

State governors said in an overnight message: "The state government is coordinating the response to a bus accident which occurred in a ravine in Zontecomatlan. At present, 19 injured people are receiving care and have been transferred to Chicontepec and Huayacocotla.

"Unfortunately, the Public Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed eight deaths. We are continuing with rescue and care work at the site, together with the teams present."

The bus had left the capital Mexico City and was heading for the town of Chicontepec in Veracruz’s Huasteca region, surrounded by lush tropical landscapes, rivers and mountains. It was not immediately clear why the vehicle had come off the road and whether the driver, named locally as Carlos Daniel Baez, was among those killed or hurt. 

It comes after another devastating crash in Colombia earlier this month, which saw sixteen students killed while on a trip to celebrate their school graduation. Their bus plunged 250ft down a steep embankment, and the driver also lost his life.

The December 14 early-hours accident happened in the north-east Colombian department of Antioquia. The children’s’ school, the Liceo Antioqueno in Bello near the city of Medellin, shared images of the pupils who died alongside an emotional tribute.

Thomas Brown

Head of Investigations