Some 200 people were taking part in a religious procession on the main street of the town of Mazapil in Zacatecas state when the truck ran into them in the late afternoon, officials said.
The dump truck "was apparently left without brakes and struck the crowd," which was heading to a church, an official in the state's civil protection agency told AFP.
In a statement, the state government's secretary general, Jaime Santoyo Castro, said 16 people died and 30 more were injured.
Officials said the truck driver fled the scene of the tragedy. Local media showed pictures of the dump truck turned on its side.
