No fewer than 13 individuals lose their lives and ninety-eight hurt in rail accident in Mexico.

A tragic train derailment in the southern state of Oaxaca has caused the fatalities of at least 13 people, an incident sure to fuel censure from critics regarding the pace and execution of the country's major government projects.

The accident took place on the Interoceanic Corridor train, a line constructed to join the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean across the thinnest stretch of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This project was created to establish an competing rail corridor to the Panama Canal, aimed at driving commercial progress in the area.

“We are going to thoroughly investigate the cause of this incident,” declared the national leader.

The official announced that, of the some 250 passengers on board, another 98 were wounded, with five of those in critical condition. The leader added plans to visit Oaxaca to meet those involved.

Key Undertaking of Former Government

The Interoceanic Train was a signature infrastructure project of the previous administration, whose time in office ended the prior year. This project was intimately linked to his government's developmental agenda for the southeastern region.

Another massive train initiative from that period, a passenger and freight circuit around the Yucatán Peninsula, was also part of the wider plan to stimulate the economic fortunes of a historically poorer part of the country.

Construction Oversight and Safety Concerns

The building of both railway systems was managed by the army, marking a dramatic expansion of its role in public projects. They were built at an rapid pace, beating expectations to be at least partly inaugurated before the end of that presidency.

However, this rushed timetable had also fueled significant apprehensions over safety standards.

• Sunday's accident was the third event on the Interoceanic Train in the current year.
• This involves an prior collision this month when a train hit a truck at a crossing.
• The other major rail project has also seen two non-lethal derailments.

Calls for Review and Suspension

In the aftermath of the catastrophe, the chief of a major opposition party called for an prompt suspension in the construction and operation of all comparable projects.

This halt was suggested pending a thorough safety audit. The party declared that the situation "calls for immediate answers."

In response, the president insisted that the train had been functioning in full compliance with all security protocols. Promises were given that the government would continue to be "diligent" in both the development and running of these vital projects.