A tragic event unfolded on Tuesday along the Villa Comaltitlán-Huixtla highway in Chiapas, Mexico, resulting in the deaths of six migrants and injuries to several others. The incident occurred when military forces mistakenly fired upon a truck transporting migrants of various nationalities, including Cubans.
The Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) released a statement on social media platform X, detailing that at approximately 8:50 p.m., army personnel were conducting ground patrols when they noticed a speeding pickup truck. The vehicle's driver attempted evasive maneuvers upon seeing the military presence. Behind the pickup, two other cargo trucks were traveling, which the statement described as similar to those used by criminal groups in the area.
Believing they heard gunfire, two soldiers discharged their weapons, stopping one of the cargo trucks. Inside, 33 migrants from various countries were found, with four dead at the scene and 12 injured. The injured were taken to Huixtla General Hospital, where two more succumbed to their injuries.
The migrants were of diverse nationalities, including Egyptian, Nepalese, Cuban, Indian, Pakistani, and Arab. The 17 uninjured migrants were handed over to the National Institute of Migration for processing.
The military personnel involved in the shooting have been removed from their duties as the incident is investigated by the Attorney General's Office and the Military Justice Office to determine accountability.
Coordination with the Foreign Relations Ministry has been established to maintain contact with the relevant embassies. SEDENA reiterated its commitment to acting in strict accordance with the rule of law, emphasizing a zero-tolerance policy for impunity, and pledged cooperation with civilian authorities to clarify the events.
According to the news site Diario del Sur, the two women who died upon arrival at the hospital were identified as Selvia, aged 18, and Neima, aged 42, both from Egypt. The hospital's emergency room treated 12 injured migrants, including three Egyptians: Salas, aged 50; Salas, aged 14; and Aya, aged 30. Four Nepalese migrants also received medical care: Oli, aged 21; Dinesh, aged 23; Subasta, aged 28; and Shajan, aged 24.
Additionally, Diario del Sur reported the admission of a 29-year-old man from Pakistan and four other unidentified individuals. The bodies of the four migrants who died at the scene and the two women who died at the hospital were transported to the Forensic Medical Service by the State Prosecutor's Office in the Costa Zone.