Mexico City rail crashes after overpass collapses, killing at least 20

Twenty people were killed, including children, and 49 were hospitalised when a railway overpass collapsed onto a busy road in Mexico City on Monday night.

Rescue efforts for potential survivors were paused shortly after the accident, authorities said, because of the risk that more of the Metro overpass and train cars could slam down onto the road.

A video on local channel Milenio TV showed the structure plummeting onto a stream of cars near Olivos station in the southeast of the city at around 10.30 p.m. local time, sending up clouds of dust and rubble.

Other images showed at least two train carriages precariously hanging from the damaged overpass as emergency fire and medical crews initially used ladders to access the carriages.

However, Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the rescue had been suspended “because the train is very weak”. A crane was being transported to the site to stabilise the train carriages so rescuers could resume their work, she said.