At least 13 people died and almost 100 were injured after a train derailed in Mexico's south-western Oaxaca region, the Mexican navy reported.

The train, which was traveling between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, was carrying 241 passengers and nine crew members.

A total of 98 were injured, of whom 36 were being treated in hospital, according to the navy.

The train derailed as it rounded a bend near the town of Nizanda. Mexico's Attorney General confirmed that an investigation was underway.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that five of those injured were in serious condition. She announced that top-level officials, including the Secretary of the Navy, were en route to the crash site.

Images from the crash scene showed rescue workers assisting passengers from the train, which had partially tilted over the side of a cliff.

The Interoceanic train links the Pacific port of Salina Cruz with Coatzacoalcos on the Gulf Coast and consisted of two locomotives and four passenger cars.

Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara Cruz expressed deep regret and noted that state authorities were coordinating with federal agencies to assist victims.

Inaugurated two years ago, the Interoceanic rail link aimed to invigorate the region's economy, a project initiated by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

This rail line was designed to modernize transportation across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and it is part of a broader initiative to expand passenger and freight rail services in southern Mexico, promoting economic development in the area.