(Trends Wide) — Two dead immigrants were found in a train car Friday east of Uvalde, Texas, the police department said. More than a dozen people needed “immediate medical attention,” the department said in a news release late Friday.
The Uvalde police indicated that they “received a 911 phone call from an unknown third party who informed them that there were numerous undocumented immigrants ‘suffocated’ inside a train car.” The train, which was operating on the Union Pacific tracks, stopped near the town of Knippa, northeast of Uvalde.
Five people were taken to local hospitals and five others were airlifted to hospitals in the San Antonio area. The University Hospital of San Antonio assured that it received of adultsone in serious condition and one in critical condition.
Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Rene Cordova said investigators are looking to see if there were more migrants on the train who weren’t initially discovered.
The police department said the adjacent highway, Highway 90, was closed for more than two hours to allow medical helicopters to land at the scene.
Uvalde police said Union Pacific will lead the investigation. Trends Wide has contacted Union Pacific and the US Border Patrol for more information.
“A train was stopped near Knippa, Texas, and 15 people were found in two different train cars. Twelve of the people were found in an intermodal container. Two of those people died, four were airlifted to San Antonio and six were taken to local hospitals,” Union Pacific said in a statement.
Three other individuals were found in a trailer, the same message read.
The Union Pacific train was heading east from Eagle Pass, Texas, to San Antonio.
“Union Pacific is very saddened by this incident and the tragedies occurring at the border. We take the safety of all people seriously and work tirelessly with law enforcement partners to detect illegal items and people traveling in or on our wagons,” the company said, noting that the incident is under investigation. .
