A semi-truck and a bus carrying passengers back from a pilgrimage to a Catholic shrine crashed and burst into flames Wednesday in eastern Mexico, killing at least 21 people, officials said.

墨西哥政府部门表示，星期三(5月29日)在墨西哥东部，一辆半卡车和一辆公共汽车相撞坠毁并起火，造成至少21人死亡。

Thirty others were injured.

另有30人受伤。

Most of the victims were pilgrims from the southern state of Chiapas who were on their way back from a trip to Mexico City to pray at the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the country's patron saint, said the head of the Civil Protection service for the state of Veracruz, Guadalupe Osorno.

瓜达卢佩-奥索尔诺-维拉克鲁斯州民防部负责人表示，大多数受害者是来自恰帕斯州南部的朝圣者，他们从墨西哥城回来，正要前往瓜达卢佩的圣母教堂祈祷。

"The forensic experts at the scene report 17 bodies of passengers who were traveling in the bus, plus two people who died in the semi truck," she said.

她说:现场的法医报告显示，车上有17具尸体，还有2人死于半卡车。

”"One person was dead on arrival at the hospital, and another who was in serious condition died.

"有一人在抵达医院时死亡，另一人因伤势过重而死。

”The Catholic Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutierrez, in Chiapas, sent its condolences to the victims' loved ones in a statement.

位于恰帕斯的塔克斯特拉古铁雷斯天主教总教区在一份声明中向遇难者家属表示慰问。

"We deeply regret the deaths caused by this accident and share in their families' overwhelming pain," it said.

我们对这次事故造成的死亡深表遗憾，并与他们的家人一起承受巨大的痛苦。

”The accident occurred on a highway in a region known as the Maltrata hills, where the roads wind between peaks that rise more than 2,000 meters above sea level.

事故发生在马尔特拉塔山区的一条高速公路上，该地区的公路在海拔2000多米的山峰之间蜿蜒曲折。

Emergency officials at the scene said one of the vehicles lost its breaks going downhill and crashed into the other, causing both to erupt in flames and leaving the bus a charred and mangled frame.

现场的紧急救援人员说，其中一辆车在下坡时刹车失灵，撞上了另一辆车，两辆车都起火燃烧，车身被烧焦，车架被撞得支离破碎。

In 2006, more than 50 Evangelical Christians were killed in the same region when their bus plunged into a ravine.

Authorities said that accident was also caused by faulty brakes.

2006年，50多名福音派基督徒乘坐的巴士在同一地区坠入峡谷，全部丧生。

有关部门表示，事故也是由于刹车失灵造成的。

【墨西哥交通事故,至少21人死亡查看网站：[db:时间]】