Oaxaca Bus Crash Kills Two Passengers, Leaves Fifteen Injured On Dangerous Mountain Curve

Oaxaca, Mexico— Two people were killed and at least fifteen injured Saturday when a passenger bus flipped onto its side and slid off the shoulder on a steep curve of Highway 175 in the Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca. The bus was bound for Oaxaca City from Pochutla.

The crash happened around 5:20 a.m. near the community of San José del Pacífico. The bus, operated by a regional line that runs the coast-to-capital route, was carrying 32 passengers. The driver reportedly lost control on a descent known locally as La Herradura. The road there is narrow. Guardrails are missing in spots. Rain had fallen overnight.

State Civil Protection said the bus tipped, dragged for about 40 meters, and came to rest against pine trees just short of a 50-meter drop. Two passengers seated near the middle exit were crushed. They were pronounced dead at the scene. “The bus was going too fast for that curve. Everyone felt it lean,” said a survivor with a bandaged arm at the Miahuatlán community hospital. “Then we were on the floor. Bags, glass, everything.”

Rescue took more than two hours. The first ambulances came from Miahuatlán, 45 minutes away. Locals arrived first. They broke windows with rocks to get people out. One volunteer said the emergency line took 20 minutes to answer. The state government later said fog delayed the dispatch.

The bus company has not released a statement. Drivers on this route work long shifts. They do the overnight coastal run, then turn around. A state transport inspector who asked not to be named said the unit had passed inspection in August, but brake wear was noted. “That route eats brakes. Companies know. They push it,” he said.

Highway 175 is notorious. It cuts through the mountains with tight curves and no lighting. Accidents are frequent, especially with second-class buses. Last year the same stretch saw three rollovers. Locals have petitioned for concrete barriers for years. Nothing happened.

The injured were distributed to hospitals in Miahuatlán and Oaxaca City. Three were listed in serious condition as of midday. The state prosecutor opened a negligent homicide file. The driver survived and is in custody for questioning.

By afternoon, the wreck was still on the slope. Traffic moved in one lane. Workers waited for a heavy tow.