A multi-vehicle collision on a major highway in the western state of Jalisco on Sunday morning sparked a fire that left at least 10 people dead and 10 others injured, four of them Americans.
The tragedy occurred on Federal Highway 15D connecting Tepic and Guadalajara, the state capitals of Nayarit and Jalisco, respectively.
🚨 Tragedia en la autopista Guadalajara–Tepic.
Un choque múltiple provocado por un tractocamión dejó un saldo preliminar de al menos 16 personas fallecidas y varios lesionados, luego de impactar a trabajadores que realizaban labores de mantenimiento en la zona de Plan de… pic.twitter.com/nI4GHxXtMJ
— Territorio Nacional (@Territorio_Hoy) July 13, 2026
Emergency personnel were on the scene attending to a collision between two cargo vehicles when a third tractor-trailer slammed into the wreckage. The second impact touched off an explosion and a conflagration that consumed the first two trucks and three passenger vehicles nearby.
Among the fatalities are two minors, while among the injured are two members of the National Guard who had responded to the original crash, both in serious condition, and four U.S. citizens.
Videos shared on social media showed vehicles completely burned out on the highway, a route frequented by cargo transport, commuters and tourists.
That afternoon, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus offered condolences in a social media post and said state government agencies will provide support to the families and victims.
“This is truly a great tragedy that plunges Jalisco and Nayarit into mourning; we are transferring the injured to private and public hospitals … and we will provide unlimited support” via the National Guard, state Civil Protection authorities, the Magdalena Fire Department and Jalisco’s emergency medical system, he said.
The governor’s office coordinated the rescue efforts, making available helicopters, ambulances and various means of transportation for the injured.
The victims were transported to the Magdalena Regional Hospital in northern Jalisco, the Arboledas Hospital in Guadalajara and the Puerta de Hierro Hospital in Nayarit.
Jalisco authorities said the four U.S. citizens were transferred to Arboledas Hospital “in mild condition.”
Seven vehicles were destroyed by the resulting fire, while two other passenger cars and a National Guard vehicle were damaged.
The incident backed up traffic on the highway for several hours before the authorities completely shut down the northbound side to conduct their investigation in an effort to determine the cause of the accident and the fire.
Authorities had not released the identities of the deceased, nor had they established a definitive cause of the incident by Monday morning.
With reports from CNN en Español, Reuters, El Occidental, France 24 and Informador
