Get San José Spotlight headlines delivered to your inbox Campbell voters are slated to choose a fresh councilmember this November Two spots are up for grabs on the Campbell City Council in Districts 1 and 2 Candidates Juan Rodriguez and Terry Hines are vying for the open District 1 seat with Mayor Susan Landry terming out in December Vice Mayor Sergio Lopez is running unopposed in District 2 Voters will also be asked to approve Measure K a 1/2-cent increase in sales tax estimated to rake in about $7 million a year in city revenue The measure would hike Campbell’s sales tax from 9.375% to 9.875% and help the city’s finances Santa Clara County mailed ballots to voters on Oct and Rodriguez was harassed at school by bullies for his accent and difficulty speaking English moved to California as a teen and eventually settled in the Bay Area where his experience influenced him to dedicate his career to public service Rodriguez lives in Campbell with his partner and 5-month-old niece He wants the opportunity to represent the community he’s called home the longest “There were a lot of challenges along the road but I did the whole recipe for the American dream — study hard go to school and then get a job,” he told San José Spotlight “But along the way I saw a lot of hardships that not only my family but people in my community (went) through.” Rodriguez works as a legislative staffer for Assemblymember Ash Kalra a job he landed after studying economics and political science at San Jose State University and completing an internship with Kalra and the Alameda County Social Services Agency He’s built his platform on issues important to young people, including housing, the environment, city services and economic development He wants to continue the city’s push for housing with more young people struggling to afford rent. Campbell was one of the first cities in Santa Clara County to receive state approval for its housing plan which requires it to build nearly 3,000 new homes by 2031 with 1,186 designated affordable for low-income residents He also wants to maintain city services, while addressing unmet needs such as affordable child care through potential grants or scholarships Rodriguez also made an impression on lifelong Campbell resident Sophia Commisso who serves on the city’s Civic Improvement Commission She endorsed Rodriquez after first meeting him at Orchard Valley Coffee in downtown Campbell a few months ago and plans to canvass for him every weekend up to the election “He’s going to be a great representative and really help the council be a really good representation of the whole population because a lot of people struggling with rent are those families who are just starting out who are younger,” Commisso told San José Spotlight Rodriguez said he’ll bring a fresh outlook to the council “I want to do my part to ensure the reality that my generation is experiencing (is represented) the very important perspectives that we bring He traded in life as an HP sales executive for the life of a small high-tech business owner Hines, 69, said after his wife retired from a career in social services, he decided it was his turn to give back to the community. He was on the Campbell Planning Commission from 2018 to 2020 and has served on the Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee for Measure O since 2022 a $50 million general obligation bond voters passed in 2018 He sits on the Campbell Chamber of Commerce board as an owner of NovaTech Services He unsuccessfully ran for city council in 2020 Hines said since then he’s become more attuned to the community’s needs “I love being able to talk to neighbors about the community that we have here and how we can make it better,” Hines told San José Spotlight Hines wants to bring his perspective as a small business owner to city government city services and smart economic development alongside housing He said most issues circle back to Campbell’s economic stability, which has experienced some recent uncertainty. The city managed to balance its 2024-25 fiscal year budget this year in the face of a roughly $5 million deficit according to the mayor, but officials anticipate more shortfalls down the line Hines wants to support small businesses to bring more sales tax into the city and maintain its small town feel He also wants to create conversations between landowners and developers to bring more affordable housing through zoning on empty lots Hines is encouraging residents to donate to a cancer prevention nonprofit of their choice as someone whose wife is a survivor “I’m particularly interested in his stand on economic development measures and how important it is that we have a healthy small business environment that is the lifeblood not only for employment and services and products that we can consume but it contributes mightily to our general fund,” he told San José Spotlight Hines is also endorsed by the Campbell Police Department Officers Union former Campbell Mayor Paul Resnikoff and the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors the Campbell City Council is it for him because he’s sticking around we’re going to continue to live here for as long as we can,” Hines said “I’m committed to making Campbell even better than it is.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" You must be logged in to post a comment San José Spotlight is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom dedicated to fearless journalism that disrupts the status quo holds power to account and paves the way for change We’re changing the face of local journalism by building a community-supported newsroom that ignites civic engagement educates residents and strengthens our democracy 408.206.5327 [email protected] Submit a News Tip Subscribe to our newsletters San José Spotlight is a project of the San José News Bureau a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128 ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page KQED Live Events PRX Podcast Garage Events Events Around the Bay Area Member Benefits with KQED Live Videos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events Featured That's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift Results are a combination of data provided by the Associated Press (AP) and county election offices. The AP calls winners by analyzing vote tallies and other election data Check marks are used to denote a winner only when the AP calls a race City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues They also help draft the city or town budget To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. See results for all elections on the Santa Clara County ballot Have a correction? Contact voterguide@kqed.org We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Margarita Petra Ortiz went to be with the Lord on November 10, 2020, at the age of 74, in San Antonio, TX. She was born on July 7, 1946 in Atascosa County, TX. She is preceded in death by her husband, Rudy C. Ortiz; parents, Norberto and Julia... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Margarita Petra Ortiz created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Margarita Petra Ortiz went to be with the Lord on N.. © 2025 Mission Park Funeral Chapels & Cemeteries Made with love by funeralOne A Salinas man has pleaded guilty to a fatal hit-and-run of a 10-year-old boy just days before Christmas last year according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office On Dec. 23, Juan Pedro Rodriguez, 25, was driving on North Sanborn Road near Kilbreth Avenue when he hit the child Rodriguez fled the scene and later asked his family to report the car stolen Rodriguez was identified as the driver later that evening and arrested The child was airlifted to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center where he died from his injuries three days later Rodriguez pleaded guilty to felony hit-and-run causing death misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and driving without a license Rodriguez also pleaded to possessing contraband in the county jail The case was investigated by Detective Bryan McKinley of the Salinas Police Department and Investigator Erik Morris of the District Attorney’s Office Leidy Rodriguez (L) will face stiff competition from Clara Fuentes in the women's up to 41kg at Bogota 2018 Parapan American champion Leidy Rodriguez will meet rising star Clara Fuentes in an expected head-to-head at the World Para Powerlifting Americas Open Championships in Bogota The Cuban will try to outdo her performance from the last edition of the regional event in 2015 when she claimed silver in the women’s up to 41kg Rodriguez followed that up with gold at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games At her maiden Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro She again reached the podium at the 2017 World Championships Venezuelan Fuentes has already made a name for herself She burst onto the international scene at the 2017 Youth Parapan American Games she won the junior world title in Mexico City and ended fifth in the senior competition behind Rodriguez among others Fuentes: Has not yet made her debut at a Paralympic Games Rodriguez: Was named among the Top 10 Outstanding Paralympic Athletes in Cuba by the Cuban Sports Institute in 2015 Fuentes: Aims to become first Venezuelan powerlifter to win a Paralympic medal Bogota 2018 will be shown live on World Para Powerlifting’s website and Facebook page, with live results available on the Bogota 2018 website Veracruz police struck a blow against the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) with the arrest of a former Veracruz police officer believed to be the cartel’s plaza boss in Tres Valles was arrested with another man in the Ejido neighborhood of Coatzacoalcos when they tried to flee from a police checkpoint A search of the car revealed two AR-15 rifles 226 rounds of ammunition of various calibers body armor and fake uniforms of various security forces including the navy According to the Veracruz Public Security Secretariat (SSP) “El Jaguar” had worked as a police officer in the municipalities of Cuitláhuac He is linked to the killings of a lawyer and two agronomists as well as other murders and disappearances in southern Veracruz the CJNG has grown from controlling not only its home state of Jalisco to become one of the biggest criminal organizations in Mexico operating in 22 of the country’s 32 states According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency the cartel also operates in Europe and Asia Source: Infobae (sp), Proceso (sp), Imagen del Golfo (sp) ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC The West Valley’s city council races are tight this election season with some candidates trailing just a few hundred votes behind the leaders — leaving the seats open to change with hundreds of thousands of uncounted ballots remaining business owner Terry Hines appears to have an edge over young politico Juan Rodríguez for City Council Voter turnout in Santa Clara County is at about 60% with more than 633,000 ballots cast as of 5 p.m But approximately 126,000 ballots still need to be counted and West Valley candidates are separated by slim margins Data on total ballots cast in individual cities isn’t yet available as more are counted The county must certify election results to the state by Dec Cupertino’s council race is close this year with pro-development and less development-friendly factions pulling for their preferred candidates to take the council majority Moore is leading with about 25.1% of the vote She has historically been less development-friendly “I’m hopeful that the trends are going to continue,” she told San José Spotlight it’s going to be time for us to roll up our sleeves and get to work for the residents.” Moore has a large lead over Wang, who has about 18.55% of the vote, or 7,524 votes. But there are only 48 votes separating Wang and Sinks who is trailing in third with roughly 18.43%, or 7,476 votes. The two are battling it out for the chance to snatch the council majority with Wang less development-friendly and Sinks pro-development The council race’s hottest topic was The Rise mixed-use development, which includes plans for about 2,700 homes, 890 of which deemed affordable, at the former Vallco Mall site Sinks said he’s unsure who will come make it into the top two but said his messaging to get The Rise built resonated with voters (Kitty and Ray) had a very strong ground game and they were well organized,” he told San José Spotlight “It was certainly always going to be a challenge to knock off both of them.” Wang also said it’s difficult to speculate about the final winners but said he and Moore ran a strong campaign doing the homework,” he told San José Spotlight Other trailing candidates include former Mayors Gilbert Wong and Barry Chang and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Claudio Bono Roughly 160 votes separate Hines and Rodríguez the two candidates vying for Campbell City Council District 1 and Rodríguez has about 47.3% or 1,410 votes Mayor Susan Landry terms out of the seat in December is the more pro-business candidate and ran unsuccessfully for council in 2020 He said if the numbers keep him ahead as more ballots are counted he will work with the other councilmembers I am beyond proud and deeply grateful for this campaign,” he told San José Spotlight “I’ve had the honor of knocking on hundreds of doors connecting with neighbors and building meaningful connections that have truly made this journey rewarding.” Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X You must be logged in to post a comment 408.206.5327 [email protected] San José Spotlight is a project of the San José News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. | All donations are tax-deductible This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Patience among 4,000 Central American migrants appeared to be wearing thin Saturday as exhausted members of the caravan journeying toward the United States openly disagreed with organizers who are shepherding the group through southern Mexico. Several thousand migrants opted to rest in Veracruz in the towns of Juan Rodriguez Clara and Isla, which are about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from their previous rest stop in Sayula. Another contingent splintered off by hitchhiking rides and walking to Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, which lies about 80 extra miles (128 kilometers) to the north. Many said they no longer had faith in those organizing the large group after confusion broke out regarding buses that would have taken migrants on a route to Mexico City. On Friday, tensions rose after Veracruz Gov. Miguel Angel Yunes reneged on a brief offer to provide transportation, saying that it would not be correct to send the migrants because Mexico City's water system was undergoing maintenance and 7 million of its people would be without water over the weekend. In the lapse between his decisions, organizers told members of the caravan that buses would indeed be available, causing some migrants to go to sleep with the impression that they should wake up early to stake out a place in line. Human rights activist Ernesto Castaneda said there's still a possibility that bulk transportation will be arranged Saturday. But as migrants struggle with exhaustion, blisters, sickness and swollen feet hundreds of miles from the closest U.S. border, tempers flared within their ranks. “People are mad and confused,'' said Saira Cabrera, 36, traveling with her husband and two children aged 7 and 13. “They're playing with our dignity. If you could have only seen the people's happiness last night when they told us that we were going by bus and today we're not,'' he said. It remained to be seen if the group would stick together and continue employing the “strength in numbers” strategy that has enabled them to mobilize through Mexico and inspire subsequent migrant caravans to try their luck. On Friday, another caravan, this time from El Salvador, waded over the Suchiate River into Mexico, bringing 1,000 to 1,500 people who want to reach the U.S. border. That caravan initially tried to cross the bridge between Guatemala and Mexico, but Mexican authorities told them they would have to show passports and visas and enter in groups of 50 for processing. The Salvadorans opted instead to wade across a shallow stretch of the river to enter Mexico. Police in the vicinity did not try to stop the migrants, who later walked along a highway toward the nearest large city, Tapachula. Mexico is now faced with the unprecedented situation of having three caravans stretched out over 300 miles (500 kilometers) of highways in the states of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz, with a total of more than 6,000 migrants. The first, largest group of mainly Honduran migrants entered Mexico on Oct. 19. The caravan has shrunk to fewer than 4,000 migrants, although it has become difficult to give exact numbers as migrants advance toward small towns any way they can. Another caravan, also of about 1,000 to 1,500 people, entered Mexico earlier this week and is now in Mapastepec, Chiapas. That group includes Hondurans, Salvadorans and some Guatemalans. In addition, the government identified a smaller group of 300 Central American migrants walking farther ahead, in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz. Mexican officials appeared conflicted over whether to help or hinder their journeys. In the smaller caravans, immigration agents and police have at times detained migrants. There has also been pressure on the main caravan, with federal police pulling over freight trucks and forcing migrants off, saying that clinging to the tops or sides of the trucks was dangerous. But several mayors have rolled out the welcome mat for migrants who reached their towns, arranging for food and campsites. Mexico's Interior Department says nearly 3,000 of the migrants in the first caravan have applied for refuge in Mexico and hundreds more have returned home. With or without the government's help, uncertainty awaits. President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. troops to the Mexican border in response to the caravans. More than 8,000 active-duty troops have been told to deploy to Texas, Arizona and California. Trump plans to sign an order next week that could lead to the large-scale detention of migrants crossing the southern border and bar anyone caught crossing illegally from claiming asylum. Though some migrants clashed with Mexican police at a bridge on the Guatemala border, they have repeatedly denied coming with any ill intentions, saying they're fleeing poverty and violence. "We aren't killers," said Stephany Lopez, a 21-year-old Salvadoran with the first caravan. Text description provided by the architects. The Santa Clara project envisioned the renovation of a building in Lisbon with different construction periods and transformations as it is common in historically rich areas The goal was to construct a building that reflects the living experience of the city not done by the reproduction of traditional elements while striving for quality in the use of real materials You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Mexico (AP) — Patience among 4,000 Central American migrants appeared to be wearing thin on Saturday as exhausted members of the caravan journeying toward the United States openly disagreed with organizers who are shepherding the group through southern Mexico Several thousand migrants opted to rest in the towns of Juan Rodriguez Clara which are about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from their previous rest stop in Sayula Another contingent splintered off by hitchhiking rides and walking to Tierra Blanca which lies about 80 extra miles (128 kilometers) to the north Many said they no longer had faith in those organizing the large group after confusion broke out regarding buses that would have taken migrants on a route to Mexico City Miguel Angel Yunes reneged on a brief offer to provide transportation saying that it would not be correct to send the migrants because Mexico City's water system was undergoing maintenance and 7 million of its people would be without water over the weekend organizers told members of the caravan that buses would indeed be available causing some migrants to go to sleep with the impression that they should wake up early to stake out a place in line Human rights activist Ernesto Castaneda said there's still a possibility that bulk transportation will be arranged Saturday and swollen feet hundreds of miles from the closest U.S "People are mad and confused," said Saira Cabrera a 36-year-old traveling with her husband and two children aged 7 and 13 "They're playing with our dignity If you could have only seen the people's happiness last night when they told us that we were going by bus and today we're not," he said It remained to be seen if the group would stick together and continue employing the 'strength in numbers' strategy which has enabled them to mobilize through Mexico and inspire subsequent migrant caravans to try their luck another caravan — this time from El Salvador — waded over the Suchiate River into Mexico bringing 1,000 to 1,500 people who want to reach the U.S That caravan initially tried to cross the bridge between Guatemala and Mexico but Mexican authorities told them they would have to show passports and visas and enter in groups of 50 for processing The Salvadorans opted instead to wade across a shallow stretch of the river to enter Mexico Police in the vicinity did not try to stop the migrants who later walked along a highway toward the nearest large city Mexico is now faced with the unprecedented situation of having three caravans stretched out over 300 miles (500 kilometers) of highways in the states of Chiapas largest group of mainly Honduran migrants entered Mexico on Oct The caravan has shrunk to less than 4,000 migrants although it has become difficult to give exact numbers as migrants advance toward small towns any way they can entered Mexico earlier this week and is now in Mapastepec Mexican officials appeared conflicted over whether to help or hinder their journeys immigration agents and police have at times detained migrants There has also been pressure on the main caravan with federal police pulling over freight trucks and forcing migrants off saying that clinging to the tops or sides of the trucks was dangerous But several mayors have rolled out the welcome mat for migrants who reached their towns - arranging for food and camp sites Mexico's Interior Department says nearly 3,000 of the migrants in the first caravan have applied for refuge in Mexico and hundreds more have returned home With or without the government's help troops to the Mexican border in response to the caravans More than 7,000 active duty troops have been told to deploy to Texas military mobilizing at the southwest border that if U.S they should react as though the rocks were rifles He plans to sign an order next week that could lead to the large-scale detention of migrants crossing the southern border and bar anyone caught crossing illegally from claiming asylum Though some migrants clashed with Mexican police at a bridge on the Guatemala border they have repeatedly denied coming with any ill intentions saying they're fleeing poverty and violence "We aren't killers," said Stephany Lopez a 21-year-old Salvadoran with the first caravan At least 36 people were killed andfour injured on Sunday when a bus crashed into the back of a truck in easternMexico and caught fire the government of the state of Veracruz said The bus had left Villahermosa in Tabasco state and was enroute to Mexico City when it crashed near the municipality of Juan RodriguezClara the Veracruz government said in a statement makingthe job of identifying bodies difficult," Veracruz Governor Javier Duartesaid on local television The truck was "badly parked on the motorway" whenthe bus hit The bus wascompletely consumed by the fire raising the death toll from theaccident from 33 reported earlier Bus crashes and road accidents occur frequently in Mexico,taking a heavy death toll each year at least 43 people died when a truck hit a bus inVeracruz and just a couple of months later more than 30 others were killed ina separate accident in Guerrero state Mexico – Gloria Villanueva woke up at 3 a.m Saturday in this sweaty way station near Mexico’s Gulf Coast and lined up for a bus ride The governor of Veracruz state had promised transportation to Mexico City – 330 miles to the northeast – for the well-publicized caravan of migrants who have walked and thumbed rides for three weeks since setting out from Honduras Gov. Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares backtracked on his promise saying in a statement that Mexico City wasn’t ready to receive 160 busloads of migrants due to water shortages in the national capital where the waterworks are being repaired and millions of residents lack service. But Pueblo Sin Fronteras a migrant advocacy organization assisting the caravan said in a statement that the organization had already prepared for the water shortage and taken precautions to receive the migrants in Mexico City Stuck without bus rides to the national capital and still 750 miles from Brownsville the caravan set out on Saturday for the town of Isla Villanueva begged for coins as tractor trailers and buses slowed while passing through Sayula de Alemán The migrants are spread out in groups in the nearby towns of Juan Rodríguez Clara which are about 40 miles from their previous rest stop in Sayula Another contingent is trying to make additional headway by pushing to Tierra Blanca which lies about 80 additional miles to the north Yunes had offered to take the caravan to an undisclosed city in southern Veracruz state – a further distance from the U.S border – but the migrants turned down the offer they voted to head for Isla instead. The caravan has been winding its way through southern Mexico the past two weeks since fording the Suchiate River separating the country with Guatemala endured scorching heat and torrential rains and survived on the generosity of ordinary Mexicans, who have offered everything from free rides to hot meals to places to sleep The Mexican government has tried to thin out the caravan by offering its participants temporary work visas and social benefits such as healthcare and education As the caravan moved through southern Mexico few of the participants appear anxious to take up the offer of residency The governors’ offer of transportation to Mexico City wasn’t entirely altruistic and reflected the unfriendly attitudes of Mexican officials toward Central American migrants transiting illegally through Mexico – even as Mexico defends its own undocumented citizens living in the United States “We can’t receive a large number of migrants It’s a serious social problem and we don’t want it to increase.” joined the caravan from the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula, – among the most violent places in the hemisphere – after seeing a news report on Honduran television but says she hasn’t had a job in three years – something she blamed on age discrimination as employment ads in many Latin American countries often ask for young people with an education and a “buena presentación” (good appearance) appealed to her as an opportunity to safely transit the length of Mexico The caravan’s route over the next few days traverses a treacherous area known as Tierra Blanca where drug cartel activities are commonplace and crimes committed against migrants rife. “I’m in the caravan so I don’t get kidnapped so immigration officers don’t grab me and deport me Others on the caravan told similar stories as they ambled toward Tierra Blanca under cloudy skies and light drizzle along with lower temperatures in the high 70s “We’re not worried if we travel together,” said Carlos Funes a father of nine and a farmhand from northern Honduras who left working on a palm oil plantation because he couldn’t make ends meet “There’s always been poverty in Honduras but not extreme poverty like now,” he said repeating a sentiment often heard among caravan travelers who say the rising cost of living and stagnant salaries are causing many Hondurans to migrate. Sleeping through rain showersCaravan participants spent a second consecutive night of sleeping through rain showers Parents pushed children in strollers along the highway as young men clung to slow-moving-semis – including a trailer hauling live chickens with his weathered skin and wearing well-worn sandals and toting a backpack with a change of clothes “I prefer to suffer on the road than see my family suffer,” he said “We don’t know if we’ll enter.” who has spoken out repeatedly against the caravan as a midterm elections campaign issue has portrayed the caravan as an invasion and vowed to let migrants enter the United States He has ordered 5,000 troops to the border – and said he would raise it to 15,000 if needed – and said soldiers would “fight back” in response to rocks being thrown at them by migrants saying he hoped “they won’t have to fire.”Funes didn’t seem deterred “Donald Trump and any other government has never stopped immigration.” But Villanueva expressed some concern with stories of the military presence threat You have all kinds of people here,” she said “The government in the United States is very strong More: Tracking Trump’s many threats, claims on immigration, caravan ahead of midterm elections More: Trump says troops won't shoot migrants at border More: Migrant caravan pushes through perilous stretch as Trump's military warnings continue ABC News News Home Australia Network News At least 36 dead in Mexico bus crash Topic:Accidents and Emergency Incidents Horror smash ... dozens died in the accident in Mexico's south east. (Reuters: Angel Hernandez) Link copiedShareShare articleA bus has slammed into the back of a badly parked trailer-truck and burst into flames in Mexico, killing at least 36 people and injuring four others, authorities said. Most of the roof and tires of the bus were reduced to ashes by the highway accident in the south-eastern state of Veracruz. "The trailer-truck was on the shoulder of the highway at [135 kilometres] ... when the bus hit the back of the trailer, which caused this regrettable accident," governor Javier Duarte said. "In addition to crashing, the bus caught fire, which makes the investigative work to identify bodies more difficult." Federal police concluded that the truck was badly parked, the state government said. At least 36 people were confirmed dead, government spokesman Alberto Silva Ramos said. Those injured have been hospitalised and are in stable condition, officials said. The accident took place between around 1:30am (local time) as the bus took passengers, mostly shopkeepers, from the south-eastern Tabasco state city of Villahermosa to Mexico City. The tragedy occurred as Mexicans are set to begin Holy Week in the predominantly Roman Catholic country. Mexico's president Enrique Pena Nieto expressed his "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims via Twitter. Topic:Food and Beverage Processing Industry CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)