Puebla, Mexico— A commuter bus packed with factory workers overturned on a tight curve of the federal mountain highway east of Puebla at around 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, sending 14 passengers to hospitals and shutting down the route for three hours.
The bus was descending toward the valley floor when it left the lane on a left-hand bend. Skid marks show the driver braked hard before the rear axle slid off the asphalt. The vehicle tipped onto its side and scraped 30 meters before stopping against a rock barrier that prevented a deeper fall.
Fourteen people were hurt. State Civil Protection said three suffered fractures and the rest had cuts and contusions. No deaths were reported. Paramedics triaged victims on the roadside while a second bus was sent to carry uninjured passengers.
"Everyone shouted. Bags fell. Then we were on the side, glass everywhere," said Luis Mendoza, 34, who was in the third row and climbed out through a broken window. He said the bus had been crowded and moving fast before the curve.
The route is known for heavy commuter traffic at dawn. It carries workers from mountain villages to industrial parks near Puebla city. Heavy trucks and buses share two narrow lanes with no divider. Morning fog often cuts visibility.
The driver was detained for questioning. State police said he passed an initial alcohol screening. The bus company, Transportes del Valle, said the vehicle had passed inspection last month and its black box recorder was recovered intact.
"The preliminary look points to speed on a curve combined with a worn outer edge. We will pull the tachograph and brake data," a state roads official said at the scene. The official asked not to be named because the formal report is not finished.
Red Cross ambulances moved the injured to two hospitals in Puebla. Doctors said most would be released by evening. The highway was reopened to one lane by 10:30 a.m. after crews righted the bus with a crane.
Investigators have ordered a mechanical review of the fleet and will audit the company’s driver shift logs from the past week.
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