At least 18 people have been burned to death following the impact between a tanker that broke away from a truck and a tourist bus on a highway in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, according to the latest balance.
The impact occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning near the municipality of Hidalgo, when one of the two articulated tanks carried by a truck detached and impacted with the bus. The bus caught fire and the tank, which was carrying a chemical known as Varsol, overturned on the side of the road.
The driver of the truck reportedly tried to flee, according to Mexican newspaper ‘Milenio’. The public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into what happened and is already working on the identification of the victims.
In the area there are personnel from Civil Protection of the Municipality of Hidalgo, Civil Protection of the State Government, State Police and investigators.