In a tragic incident, two migrants were found dead and at least ten others were hospitalized on Friday, as police in South Texas received an emergency call that they were "suffocating" inside a freight train moving close to the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to the statement of the police officials, they received a call from someone claiming that there were people inside one of the trains parked on tracks south of Victoria Road in Edinburg. The caller stated that some individuals needed medical attention as they were finding it difficult to breathe.
Upon arriving at the scene, authorities discovered several migrants sitting atop cargo containers in one of the railcars who exhibited signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Two individuals had already passed away by then while ten other individuals required immediate medical treatment for their condition.
The identities or nationalities of those involved have not been officially released yet. However, authorities believe that these migrants may have been traveling through Mexico from Central America or elsewhere before getting onto this train headed towards Houston.
While freight trains are often used by undocumented immigrants as means for transportation into the United States, these kinds of incidents are not uncommon where people lose their lives due to suffocation or heatstroke during long journeys with no access to proper ventilation systems and water supplies.
The investigation is currently underway regarding how many people boarded this particular train car and how long they'd been traveling without provisions. The local law enforcement agencies will continue working with federal partners like Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents if any criminal activity is detected concerning human smuggling rings behind such illegal activities.
Meanwhile, survivors among those hospitalized are receiving medical care while awaiting further processing by immigration officials upon their recovery.