At least 26 people were killed when a heavy-duty vehicle collided with a trailer and van on a highway in the northern Mexican state of Tamaulipas on Sunday, authorities said.

The fatal accident occurred early in the morning on a section of the highway connecting the cities of Hidalgo and Zaragoza in the southern part of the state bordering the United States.

Civil protection services “offered their assistance and so far confirmed the deaths of 26 people,” the Tamaulipa Ministry of Public Security said.

A source close to the prosecutor’s office, who asked not to be named, said the death toll could be even higher as there are indications that the truck driver was traveling with family members and may have also died.

According to Mexican media, the victims belonged to the same family and rented a minibus to get from the city of Monterrey (north) to the state of Veracruz (east).

The prosecutor’s office clarified that the inspection of the scene of the tragedy continues. It is not clear if the truck driver was killed or fled.

As the cars caught fire after the collision, some of the bodies were found burned.

In recent years, there has been an increase in traffic accidents involving heavy vehicles in Mexico, most of which are related to speeding, the poor condition of many roads, and driver fatigue.

Source: RES-IPE