Three migrants die in a highway accident in Oaxaca, Mexico

According to news on August 30, 2024, on Thursday, August 29, a serious accident occurred on a highway in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Three migrants were hit by a car, resulting in three deaths and 17 injuries.

Officials confirmed that two of the deceased were a father and daughter from Nicaragua. The daughter was only 8 years old. A woman from Ecuador also unfortunately lost her life in this accident. There is currently no specific information about the injured.

The state of Oaxaca is a key route for migrants attempting to cross Mexico to reach the US border. Accidents involving migrants occur frequently. Earlier on Thursday, this fatal incident took place on a two-lane highway near the city of Juchitán in Oaxaca. In southern Mexico, migrant groups often walk along highways in the darkness before dawn to avoid the intense heat during the day. Although police patrol cars sometimes accompany large groups of migrants walking on highways to prevent accidents, this group of migrants who were hit did not receive such protection. Migrant rights activists criticized the police for failing to prevent the deaths.

The state prosecutor's office said the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident has been detained and may face charges equivalent to manslaughter. Since the beginning of this year, there have been multiple migrant deaths in the state of Oaxaca. In April, three migrants died in a highway accident, at least two of them from Cameroon. In March, the bodies of eight Asian migrants and one survivor were found after a ship accident on the Pacific coast. In 2023, at least 16 migrants from Venezuela and Haiti died in a bus accident in Oaxaca. In the wave of migrants flocking to the US border, a series of migrant deaths continue to occur in Mexico. Since immigration officials often conduct surprise inspections on ordinary buses, some migrants can only choose to travel on foot, increasing safety risks.