In an incident in western Mexico on the morning of 3 August, a passenger bus careened off a highway, hurtling into a ravine and resulting in the tragic loss of at least 18 lives.
Most of those on board were foreign nationals, including Indians, the Dominican Republic, and various African countries.
The journey was destined for the northern border town of Tijuana, with around 42 passengers on board.
The authorities have detained the bus driver, suspecting him of rash driving, with initial investigations focusing on speeding as a potential cause of the accident.
The Nayarit state government issued a statement confirming the driver's detainment and indicating that his actions around a bend in the road might have precipitated the calamity.
Rescue operations proved to be a formidable challenge due to the formidable depth of the ravine, estimated at approximately 40 meters (131 feet).
Jorge Benito Rodriguez, Nayarit's security and civil protection secretary, attested to the extreme difficulties faced by the rescue teams as they worked tirelessly to recover the victims from the crash site near Barranca Blanca, just outside the state capital, Tepic.
Reports from the state government, as conveyed by Reuters, indicated that about 20 injured individuals were admitted to hospitals for medical treatment.
The bus involved in this recent catastrophe belonged to the Elite passenger line. The identification of the deceased is in progress. Authorities await responses from the bus company and Mexico's migration institute for further details. Road safety measures on international routes come under scrutiny.
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