The first alert did not come from a siren. It came from people working a field beside the road, who saw a passenger bus that had left the asphalt and slammed into a tree. That is how Pascual Silvano Barrón, the community delegate of La Laborcilla, described it. When he reached the spot, he said, he saw passengers lifeless inside the bus, other bodies lying on the road, and many wounded.
It happened on the morning of Wednesday, 22 April 2026, at about 07:00 according to local reports, on state road 310 between San Juan del Río and Amealco in the central Mexican state of Querétaro. The place is the community of La Muralla, in the municipality of Amealco. Nine people died.
Who was on board
Early local reports said the bus carried more than 30 people, most of them workers on their way to San Juan del Río. Several of the dead were believed to come from Amealco itself, which is why the shock was felt hardest in that town and its neighbouring communities.
The injury count shifted through the day. The state civil protection office counted 28 hurt. The state government later put the figure at 27, and said two of them were in serious condition and had been flown out. According to the civil protection update, eight others went by road to hospitals in the region, and 18 were assessed as “code green”, meaning no serious injuries.
The rescue
Civil protection teams, firefighters, the Red Cross, state police and medical crews converged on the road, and two helicopters took part in moving the most seriously hurt. The bus was badly crushed, which slowed the rescue. Forensic investigators began their own work at the scene. The road stayed shut in both directions, and drivers were told to keep away.
What is known about the cause
Officials have not announced a cause. Witnesses told reporters the driver lost control after a bend near the La Muralla hotel and may have fallen asleep at the wheel. That remains an account from witnesses, not a finding.
The state government posted condolences to the families of the nine who died, and promised it would stand beside them and keep helping the injured.
Sources
- Querétaro: Se estrella camión contra árbol y deja 9 muertos – Expreso
- Garantiza Gobierno acompañamiento a familias de las 9 personas que fallecieron en Amealco – Quadratín Querétaro
- Accidente en carretera a Amealco deja al menos nueve muertos y decenas de heridos – En Contacto Noticias
