Unsafe Conditions and Rushed Deadlines: Workers at Risk on Maya Train

Approximately 100 employees, both male and female, are currently working on section 6 of the Maya Train project. Several of these workers have voiced concerns about unsafe working conditions and a rushed construction schedule. These concerns have arisen due to a push to complete the project by July 31 for its inauguration by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This comes in the wake of a recent accident at the construction site that resulted in two injuries, one severe and one minor.

The injured workers were immediately transported to a private clinic in Chetumal. There is a possibility that one of the injured individuals may lose a leg as a result of the accident. The accident occurred on the afternoon of Monday, July 8, when a tower of rods under construction as part of an elevated bridge collapsed. This bridge is part of the track that spans the Chetumal-Escarcega highway. The structure fell onto the workers, trapping two beneath the rubble, until their colleagues were able to free them.

A worker, who wished to remain anonymous, told 24 Hours Quintana Roo, "We are pushing to complete the train. But it cannot be done because the bridge construction is far behind, the track is still missing, but they tell us it must be done before the President leaves." Despite attempts to communicate these concerns to the General Directorate of Engineers of the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena), who oversee the project, the workers claim their calls are simply disconnected. They also warn that the rainy season has softened the ground, increasing the risk of accidents due to the instability of the subsoil under the weight of heavy loads.

The July 8 accident is one in a series of accidents that have occurred on section 6 of the Maya Train project this year. The first occurred on February 8, when a structure from the short Mérida track collapsed, injuring two men. The second accident happened on June 18, when a structure fell on a van, injuring several workers. The most recent involved the fall of a metal structure that severely injured a worker.

Despite these incidents, Sedena has not released any information about the safety conditions or measures taken to protect workers. It is currently unknown whether the workers are insured, which has raised concerns among the staff and their families. The workers have made an urgent appeal to authorities to improve safety conditions at the Maya Train construction sites. They are calling for proper protection for all employees involved in this important national infrastructure project.