Migrants found in hot Texas freight train; two die, 10 hospitalized

Robert Besser
28 Mar 2023, 13:03 GMT+10

Texas police stopped a Florida-bound freight train this week and discovered two migrants had died in a freight car, and ten others were required hospital care.
U.S. Border Patrol officials were notified by local police and stopped the train just east of Knippa, Texas in Uvalde County, police said.
To evacuate the migrants, police closed U.S. Highway 90 to allow for landing helicopters.

UVLADE, Texas: Texas police stopped a Florida-bound freight train this week and discovered two migrants had died in a freight car, and ten others were required hospital care.

Officials in Uvlade, Texas reported receiving an anonymous emergency call reporting that migrants riding in a freight car were endangering their lives.

U.S. Border Patrol officials were notified by local police and stopped the train just east of Knippa, Texas in Uvalde County, police said.

To evacuate the migrants, police closed U.S. Highway 90 to allow for landing helicopters.

"We are heartbroken to learn of yet another tragic incident of migrants taking the dangerous journey," Homeland Security Secretary Alejando Mayorkas said on Twitter.

"Smugglers are callous and only care about making a profit," Mayorkas added.

Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez said the migrants might have dehydrated while riding in the rail freight 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," Rodriguez said, as reported by KSAT television.

Knippa, Texas is 72 miles west of San Antonio and 120 miles from the Mexican border.

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