On Monday, a tragic incident unfolded in Mexico when a woman was fatally struck by a train while she was attempting to take a selfie; the accident has drawn considerable attention on social media.
According to local reports, the incident occurred near Hidalgo, where people had assembled to photograph the passing of a historic steam train, the ‘Empress’.
The woman, reportedly in her twenties and accompanied by her son and other schoolchildren, misjudged her proximity to the tracks while setting up for the selfie.
The distressing video shows the woman, dressed in an orange top, kneeling to capture her photo just as the train approaches. Tragically, she is hit on the back of the head by the corner of the train engine, causing her to fall forward. A nearby man quickly intervened, pulling her away from further danger as the train continued to pass.
The ‘Empress,’ officially recognized as Canadian Pacific 2816, embarked on the Final Spike Steam Tour from Calgary in April, travelling through Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. This tour marks the celebration of the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) merger and is set to conclude in Mexico City on Friday. Post-tour, the train will return to Canada for retirement in July.
Following the incident, CPKC issued a statement expressing their condolences and confirmed cooperation with local authorities in the investigation. They emphasized the importance of safety near train tracks, advising the public to stay at least 10 meters away from the tracks and cautioning against attempting to board the train or touching railway infrastructure.
