26 people were killed in northern Mexico when a passenger van crashed into a freight trailer Sunday.
>> TRENDING: 3 overnight shootings in Cleveland kill 4, injure 1; Family identifies female victim
Law enforcement agents and prosecutors for the northern border state of Tamaulipas informed that the 26 dead was only a preliminary count due to the sheer volume of the wreckage and the fire that consumed both vehicles involved, AP News reported.
A freight trailer and a passenger van were engulfed in fire when officers arrived; however, the cab pulling the freight trailer was not at the scene. Officers suggested that the freight trailer’s driver uncoupled their cab from the load and fled the scene.
The victims were believed to be extended family members returning from an outing, local media outlets reported, according to AP News. However, authorities were not able to confirm this information.
In the past, crashes that killed multiple people in Mexico were oftentimes blamed on overloaded vehicles linked to migrant smuggling.
The crash occurred on a highway near the state capital, Ciudad Victoria.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.