UVALDE COUNTY, Texas – US Border Patrol agents found 12 migrants in a train car east of Knippa, Texas, on Friday afternoon.
Two of the people were dead and several others needed immediate medical attention, according to Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodríguez.
At approximately 3:50 pm Friday, emergency dispatch received a 911 call from an inoperative number about several people trapped and “suffocated” inside a train car.
Rodriguez said it’s unclear who made the report, but it could have come from the train car.
Border Patrol officers were notified and inspected the train two to three miles from Knippa at a regular stop, Rodriguez said.
They found two people dead and many others unresponsive, according to the Uvalde police chief.
At least five medical helicopters carried five patients to San Antonio hospitals. Several ambulances also arrived at the scene to help transport five patients to nearby hospitals, Uvalde police said.
University Health in San Antonio confirmed with KSAT that it received at least two male patients by air from the scene.
‘It’s heartbreaking’
It’s unclear what exact condition those rescued were in, but Rodríguez said many were likely dehydrated from the heat of the train cars and the current high temperatures.
According to the nearest official information station, the temperature in the area was 87 °F at 3:55 p.m.
“It is sad to see that so many undocumented immigrants were found in this condition, and two of them lost their lives. It’s heartbreaking,” Rodriguez said.
US Highway 90 East at FM 2730 was reopened shortly before 7 p.m. after being closed for several hours, according to Uvalde police.
Drivers were asked to use Highway 127 and Ranch Road 187 in Sabinal and FM 1049 in Knippa to avoid the scene.
Knippa is a small town on US 90 about 75 miles west of downtown San Antonio and 10 miles northeast of Uvalde. It is more than 70 miles from the US-Mexico border.
KSAT has a team heading to the area. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
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