After a car accident on the night of Tuesday, August 27, which resulted in the death of three pilgrims who were heading to the Sanctuary of the Lord of Chalma, in the State of Mexico, the Catholic Church deeply regretted what happened and expressed its solidarity with the people injured.
According to information provided by the city council of Ocuilan, the municipality where the accident occurred, it took place on Tuesday night on the Malinalco-Chalma highway. A van carrying 21 people fell into a sinkhole, causing “thirteen people to be injured, and unfortunately, three pilgrims died.”
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The accident occurred while the pilgrims from the municipality of Xochimilco, in Mexico City, were heading to the municipality of Malinalco, where the sanctuary of the Lord of Chalma is located.
Two people died at the scene of the accident and the third victim died at the Malinalco Municipal Hospital. One of them was a minor. Likewise, it was indicated that emergency forces immediately went to the site to provide assistance, while the injured were transferred to various hospitals to receive medical attention.
A month earlier, on July 22, the authorities had reported on Facebook that the cordon was carried out, in the same area where the accident occurred, due to “a sinkhole that was generated by the intense rains in the area.”
At that time, it was reported that the pertinent report had been made “to evaluate and address the situation.” However, the road remained in the same condition.
ACI Prensa was able to confirm with Ocuilan Public Security that this collapse of the ground was the same one in which the van with the pilgrims fell.
In response to the unfortunate accident, the Diocese of Xochimilco issued a message on August 28, joining “the pain of the families of our community.”
“We raise our prayers so that in the Risen Christ they may find strength and peace,” expressed the message signed by Bishop Mons. Andrés Vargas Peña.
Likewise, it was requested that the “injured recover their health and full recovery soon.”
Diego López Colin
I am a graduate of Journalism at the Carlos Septién García School with experience in religious institutional communication. Since 2016 he has written for digital media and, since 2018, I have reported the most important news about Catholic events in Mexico for the EWTN news channel. He has been ACI Prensa correspondent in Mexico since 2023.