(Washington) At least ten people were killed in Texas, near the border with Mexico, in the crash of a van carrying around 30 people who could be illegal migrants, local authorities said Wednesday.
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Texan authorities have said they are investigating a “major accident” near the town of Falfurrias, a few kilometers from the border with Mexico.
A Ford van was speeding north on a freeway when it skidded, hitting a metal utility pole and traffic sign, according to a witness.
“The driver and nine passengers died at the scene of the accident,” said the Texan authorities.
According to a local official, around 30 people were in the vehicle.
“It looks like they were undocumented migrants, but we have to work with the consulates,” Texas Department of Public Safety spokesman Sergeant Nathan Brandley told AFP.
The use of overloaded vehicles is characteristic of the modus operandi of migrant smugglers at the border between the two countries.
In March, an alleged smuggler was charged after 13 people died in the collision between a heavy truck and a crowded vehicle in southern California.
Migrant arrivals to the United States had declined markedly during the pandemic and began to rebound slightly in 2020, before surging since President Joe Biden took office. Republicans accuse him of causing a “draft” by relaxing the draconian migration policies of his predecessor Donald Trump.
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