At least 19 dead as truck smashes into cars at toll booth in Mexico

Cars engulfed in flames and destroyed after lorry’s brakes fails

The death toll was raised to 19 by authorities late on Saturday (EPA)

At least 19 people have been pronounced dead and three injured after a truck crashed into a toll booth and six other vehicles in central Mexico.

The truck was transporting shampoo base through Mexico state when its brakes failed, leading it to first crash into the toll booth and then into the vehicles.

The driver of the truck was among those who died in the crash, which took place at 12.45pm local time on Saturday.

Injured survivors have been taken to hospital for treatment.

The crash sparked a large fire on the highway which connects Mexico City to Puebla state,  according to Mexico’s Federal Roads and Bridges and Related Services agency.

Videos circulating on social media show a number of the vehicles involved in the accident engulfed in flames, whilst others nearer to the toll booth were destroyed completely.

Traffic was stopped and a section of the motorway was shut whilst vehicles were removed from the road and information was gathered, Mexico’s Federal Roads and Bridges and Related Services agency (CAPUFE) reported.

CAPUFE also recommended that people traveling between Mexico City and Puebla took a different route to avoid disruption.