On Friday in south Texas, two suspected undocumented immigrants died from suffocation while on a freight train, while 10 more required medical attention and were transported by helicopter or ambulance to a hospital, according to police.
According to Uvalde police, authorities in Uvalde, Texas, got an anonymous 911 call informing them that many immigrants were suffocating inside a train. According to police, at least 15 immigrants needed emergency medical care.
After receiving notification, U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped the train in Uvalde County, Texas, just east of Knippa, according to the police. To allow the helicopters to land, officials briefly closed US Highway. According to The Department of Homeland Security investigators, federal investigators are investigating the possibility of human smuggling.
The tragedy happened close to where 53 migrants died in the back of a tractor-trailer during a smuggling attempt last year in the blazing heat. On June 27, a truck with dozens of migrants inside was discovered outside of San Antonio. In that case, two Americans have been charged in federal court and, if found guilty, might get the death penalty. Two Mexicans have been accused of less serious offenses.
Alejando Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, posted on Twitter, “We are heartbroken to learn of yet another tragic incident of migrants taking the dangerous journey.” He vowed to assist local investigators to identify those guilty.
“Smugglers are callous and only care about making a profit,” Mayorkas said.
Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez said the migrants were dehydrated
According to KSAT news, Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez said the migrants were dehydrated as a result of the heat in the railway cars during warm weather.
“It’s sad to see that so many undocumented immigrants were found in this condition, and two of them lost their lives. It’s heartbreaking,” KSAT quoted Rodriguez as saying.
According to Uvalde police, the Union Pacific railroad will oversee the probe.
In order to find out if any of the casualties were Mexican, the Mexican consulate in Eagle Pass, Texas, posted on Twitter that it was aware of the situation and in contact with American authorities.
An anonymous department official with knowledge of the situation said Homeland Security has not yet established the nationalities of the victims or whether any families or children were among them.
Knippa is located roughly 120 miles (190 km) from the Mexican border and 72 miles (115 km) west of San Antonio.
It is close to the town of Uvalde, where two teachers and 19 students were slain in a mass shooting at an elementary school in May of last year.