A tour bus crash in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on Tuesday has left 12 dead and 18 injured, officials said.
The bus was carrying 31 people, including tourists from the United States, Italy, Brazil and Sweden, in the state of Quintana Roo, according to Public Security of Quintana Roo. The dead include one child, the agency said in a statement.
The bus was traveling from the coastal village of Mahahual to the Mayan archaeological site Chacchoben, according to Public Security of Quintana Roo. Chacchoben is about 110 miles south of the popular tourist destination Tulum.
The injured were sent to hospitals in Bacalar and Chetumal. Five were later released.
Among the bus passengers were 27 cruise guests from two Royal Caribbean ships, Celebrity Equinox and Serenade of the Seas, the cruise line said. The ships arrived Tuesday in the busy cruise ship port of Costa Maya, a vacation destination on Mexico’s Caribbean coast near the Belize border. Both ships left Tuesday afternoon.
“Our hearts go out to all those involved in the bus accident in Costa Maya. We are doing all we can to care for our guests, including assisting with medical care and transportation,” spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said. “We are working with the local authorities to learn more about the accident.”
Celebrity Equinox, a seven-night Caribbean cruise, departed from PortMiami on Saturday, December 16. Serenade of the Seas, also a seven-night Caribbean cruise, departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday, December 15.
Video of the crash’s aftermath showed a bus on its side in a wooded area off the roadway.
Representatives from the United States mission in Mexico are heading to the scene to assist any US citizens involved, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
“We know that lots of families and individuals are traveling this time of year,” she said. “We’re working with local authorities.”