Mexico bus-train crash death toll climbs to 20

The death toll from a collision between a passenger bus and a freight train in northern Mexico has risen to 20.

The deadly accident happened in the Tamaulipas town of Anahuac near the US city of Laredo, Texas, around 5 pm local time on Friday. The bus was attempting to cross the tracks when it was struck.

An earlier account put the deaths at 16. Two children were among the dead and at least 31 people were injured in the crash.

Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the accident.

The bus had been travelling north from the city of Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas state to the state of Coahuila.

The train was operated by the Transporte Frontera line on a route connecting Nuevo Laredo to the neighboring state of Coahuila.

Road accidents are one of the main causes of death in Mexico. Approximately four million traffic accidents occur in Mexico, killing around 24,000 a year. That is almost twice the deaths from drug violence.

In April last year, a bus accident in Mexico’s southern state of Veracruz left 36 people dead and four others injured.