At least 24 people died and five others were injured after a bus collided with a tractor-trailer early Saturday in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas, media reports said.

National Guard coordinator Juan Manriquez told Xinhua that the crash occurred when the trailer detached from the truck transporting corn, causing the bus to tip onto its right side.

Rodrigo Reyes, secretary general of the Zacatecas government, was quoted as saying by the Chinese news agecy in a video statement that the bus was travelling from Tepic in the western state of Nayarit to Ciudad Juarez in the northern state of Chihuahua.

He asked people to avoid the highway following the accident since it led to its closure.

"The injured are receiving treatment at the Mexican Social Security Institute," Reyes said.

"We extend our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost loved ones in this tragic accident," he said

Road mishaps are one of the leading causes of death in Mexico.

Over 381,000 incidents were reported in urban and suburban areas, causing over 4,800 deaths and 90,500 injuries, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico as quoted by Xinhua.