No fewer than 13 passengers killed and ninety-eight hurt in rail accident in the nation of Mexico.

A fatal train derailment in the southern state of Oaxaca has claimed the lives of at least 13 people, an incident likely to revive opposition criticisms regarding the pace and management of the country's flagship government projects.

The disaster happened on the Interoceanic Corridor train, a rail link constructed to join the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean across the thinnest stretch of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This project was designed to provide an alternative rail cargo route to the Panama Canal, with the goal of spurring regional growth in the area.

“We will thoroughly investigate what caused this tragedy,” declared the country's president.

The official announced that, of the some 250 passengers on board, another 98 were injured, with five of those in critical condition. The official stated plans to go to Oaxaca to confer with those affected.

Key Undertaking of Past Leadership

The Interoceanic Train was a central infrastructure project of the immediate past president, whose time in office finished the previous year. This project was intimately linked to his administration's developmental goals for the southern region.

Another ambitious train initiative from that era, a passenger and freight circuit around the Yucatán Peninsula, was also central to the broader strategy to revitalize the economy of a relatively disadvantaged part of the country.

Building Management and Worries

The development of both rail lines was managed by the army, marking a notable growth of its responsibilities in civilian works. They were built at an rapid speed, beating expectations to be at least partly inaugurated before the end of that government.

However, this accelerated timeline had concurrently sparked significant questions over construction quality.

• Sunday's crash was the third event on the Interoceanic Train this year.
• This involves an earlier accident this month when a train hit a truck at a railroad crossing.
• The other major rail project has also seen several non-fatal derailments.

Demands for Audit and Pause

In the aftermath of the catastrophe, the head of a major opposition party demanded an prompt halt in the development and management of all similar projects.

This stoppage was requested until the completion of a full technical review. The party emphasized that the situation "calls for immediate answers."

In reply, the president asserted that the train had been operating in full accordance with all security protocols. Promises were given that the government would be "diligent" in both the construction and management of these vital projects.