WASHINGTON: At least 8 migrants reportedly drowned and dozens of others were rescued after trying to cross the Rio Grande river from Mexico into the US, officials said on Friday.
According to a statement sent to AFP by US Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), the drownings happened on Thursday while a sizable group made an attempt to cross the Rio Grande close to Eagle Pass, Texas.
The CBP said that 37 people were rescued, but added that "part of the rescue mission also led to the discovery of 8 deceased migrants, of which two were found by the Mexican authorities and six by (US) agents." 39 migrants were apprehended on the Mexican side of the river, while 53 were detained by US border patrol officials, according to CBP.
The ages and nationalities of the migrants were not disclosed. CBP noted, "The search for further potential victims continues. As per government statistics, approximately 50,000 migrants were detained by CBP agents last month in the Del Rio region, which includes Eagle Pass.
The migrants were washed away by strong currents approximately a mile south of the International Bridge connecting Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Mexico, according to the city's fire chief, Manuel Mello said. He observed that there could now be one drowning every day in the area due to the increase in drownings.
Recent mass migrant deaths have brought attention to the perilous route that thousands of people undertake each year as they attempt to cross from Mexico to the US.
In June, over 50 people died after being abandoned in a scorching hot trailer in San Antonio, Texas.
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