At least 26 people were killed in Mexico over the weekend after a passenger van collided with a freight truck, authorities said.The accident occurred in the northern Mexico state of Tamaulipas near the capital of Ciudad Victoria on Sunday afternoon, when the two vehicles crashed and caught on fire, the Tamaulipas public security ministry said,according to Reuters.When first responders arrived at the accident along the Victoria-Zaragoza highway, they found that the cab of the truck was no longer at the scene, prompting authorities to believe the driver may have fled, a source in the Tamaulipas prosecutor’s office told the outlet.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.HANDOUT/MEXICAN ARMY/AFP via Getty ImagesThe death toll is a preliminary estimate and may go higher due to the volume of the wreckage and the fact that the van and truck were charred beyond recognition, theAssociated Pressreported.A video taken at the incident showed a fiery scene, where only the back panel of the trailer remained intact.HANDOUT/MEXICAN ARMY/AFP via Getty ImagesMany of the victims may be part of the same family, the AP reported, though authorities have not officially confirmed the identities of those who died.The victims in the van, all believed to be Mexican citizens, were thought to have been tied to a private transportation business local media reported,according to ABC News.

At least 26 people were killed in Mexico over the weekend after a passenger van collided with a freight truck, authorities said.

The accident occurred in the northern Mexico state of Tamaulipas near the capital of Ciudad Victoria on Sunday afternoon, when the two vehicles crashed and caught on fire, the Tamaulipas public security ministry said,according to Reuters.

When first responders arrived at the accident along the Victoria-Zaragoza highway, they found that the cab of the truck was no longer at the scene, prompting authorities to believe the driver may have fled, a source in the Tamaulipas prosecutor’s office told the outlet.

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HANDOUT/MEXICAN ARMY/AFP via Getty Images

Handout picture released by the Mexican Army showing the site of an accident on the Zaragoza- Hidalgo highway between a truck and a van with passengers where at least 13 people died and several were injured, in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico

The death toll is a preliminary estimate and may go higher due to the volume of the wreckage and the fact that the van and truck were charred beyond recognition, theAssociated Pressreported.

A video taken at the incident showed a fiery scene, where only the back panel of the trailer remained intact.

Handout picture released by the Mexican Army showing the site of an accident on the Zaragoza- Hidalgo highway between a truck and a van with passengers where at least 13 people died and several were injured, in the state of Tamaulipas, Mexico, on May 14, 2023

Many of the victims may be part of the same family, the AP reported, though authorities have not officially confirmed the identities of those who died.

The victims in the van, all believed to be Mexican citizens, were thought to have been tied to a private transportation business local media reported,according to ABC News.

source: people.com