Investigation Underway After 6 People Found Dead Inside a Train in Texas
Six people were found dead Sunday in a Union Pacific boxcar in Laredo, Texas, near the border with Mexico.
The bodies were found at about 3 p.m. after a Union Pacific worker came upon them during a routine inspection, according to KGNS-TV.
“At this point it’s a very early phase of the investigation,” a local police representative said.
Jose Baeza, an investigator with the Laredo Police Department, said the rail yard is extensive, and police were trying to determine the origin of the train and its destination, according to NBC News.
“Imagine a loading dock at a seaport, but for trains,” he said. “This is where they load and unload a lot of rail cars.”
Five of the dead were men, and one was a woman, according to the chief medical examiner for Webb County.
He said heat stroke is the preliminary cause of death, noting that the high temperature Sunday was 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
“It is believed that, although not confirmed, all the victims are from either Mexico or Honduras,” the medical examiner said.
The victims’ cell phones are being examined to learn more about them, the medical examiner said.
Dr. Corinne Stern, the medical examiner, said the 29-year-old woman from Mexico died from hyperthermia, which is overheating, according to The New York Times.
She expected the other victims would have similar causes of death.
“The consul, as we speak, is working on contacting her family and making arrangements for her to be repatriated,” she said.
The medical examiner’s office has contacted Honduran officials to determine if the rest of the victims are connected to that nation, Stern said.
“We believe that some of the individuals are from Mexico and Honduras,” she said.
Police said they are trying to determine if the victims were trying to enter the country illegally.
“As the investigation continues into the identities of the six individuals found inside a train boxcar in Laredo, this tragedy strikes at the center of our humanity,” Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño said. “Our hearts are with the families and loved ones affected. We don’t want to see any incidents like this. We’re all humans.”
A spokesman with Union Pacific said it was working with police.
“Union Pacific is saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate,” Mike Jaixen, a representative for Union Pacific, said in a statement.
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