From Del Rio to Laredo: The journey of seven migrants who suffocated on a Union Pacific train in Texas

"From a Union Pacific train, a migrant woman texted a relative on Saturday. The railway car she was in felt very hot, she wrote. That day, the temperature in San Antonio, Texas, where the train was traveling, reached nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). Authorities estimate that the heat index inside the shipping containers could have reached as high as 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius)."

"On Sunday afternoon, more than 100 miles (160 km) away in Laredo, Texas, a Union Pacific employee found six people dead inside a railcar, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told EL PAIS. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers responded after being notified by the police department of this border city. Webb County Medical Examiner Corinne Stern and her team are examining the bodies. As of Tuesday, they had only been able to identify five people."

"Forensic evaluations of this woman have determined that she died from hyperthermia, a body temperature elevated above tolerable levels. While formal evaluations of the other five bodies are still pending, it is quite likely that hyperthermia was the cause of death for the entire group, Stern explained in a county statement. The coroner told the Associated Press that she estimates the migrants suffered for nearly eight hours before dying."

A migrant woman sent a relative text message from a Union Pacific train, describing extreme heat inside the railcar. San Antonio temperatures neared 90°F, and authorities estimated the heat index inside shipping containers could have reached about 140°F. San Antonio police were alerted but could not locate the train. On Sunday afternoon, a Union Pacific employee found six people dead more than 100 miles away in Laredo. ICE and HSI officers responded after notification from local police, and the Webb County Medical Examiner began examining the bodies. As of Tuesday, five people were identified, including two Honduran immigrants and three Mexicans. Forensic evaluation of one woman indicated death from hyperthermia, and the medical examiner said it was likely the cause for all. The coroner estimated the group suffered for nearly eight hours before dying.

Read at english.elpais.com