Two migrants suffocate to death, more injured aboard Texas train

(Adds details) March 24 (Reuters) - Two suspected undocumented immigrants suffocated to death aboard a freight train and 10 others in need of medical care were taken by helicopter or ambulance to hospital on Friday in south Texas, police said.

(Adds details) March 24 (Reuters) -

Two suspected undocumented immigrants suffocated to death aboard a freight train and 10 others in need of medical care were taken by helicopter or ambulance to hospital on Friday in south Texas, police said. Officials in Uvlade, Texas, received an anonymous emergency 911 call advising them that numerous immigrants were suffocating inside a train, Uvalde police said in a statement. At least 15 immigrants needed immediate medical attention, police said.

U.S. Border Patrol officials were notified and able to stop the train just east of Knippa, Texas, in Uvalde County, police said. Officials closed U.S. Highway 90 temporarily to land the helicopters. Federal investigators were looking into the possibility of human smuggling, investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said.

Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez suspected the migrants were dehydrated due to the heat of the train cars during warm weather, KSAT television reported. "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," KSAT quoted Rodriguez as saying.

The Union Pacific railroad would lead the investigation, Uvalde police said. The Mexican consulate in Eagle Pass, Texas, said on Twitter it was aware of the incident and in communication with U.S. officials to determine if any of the victims were Mexican.

Homeland Security had yet to determine the nationalities of the victims or whether any families or children were among them, a department official with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Knippa is about 72 miles (115 km) west of San Antonio and about 120 miles (190 km) from the Mexican border.

It is near the town of Uvalde, which was the scene of a mass shooting at an elementary school in May last year that killed 19 school children and two teachers.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)