Mexico also mourned a road accident in May when a cargo truck and a bus carrying pilgrims who had visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe collided on a highway near Maltrata, killing 21. (AFP)

At least 11 people died and seven were injured on Sunday when a car and a van carrying tourists crashed on a highway in Mexico’s southern Chiapas state, local prosecutors said.

“Eleven people were killed and seven more were injured,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement, adding an investigation had been opened into the accident’s cause.

According to reports from local authorities, the victims included tourists traveling in the van to San Cristobal de las Casas, one of the most visited cities in Chiapas state.

During the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season, traffic is heavier on Mexico’s roads and accidents occur more frequently.