Tragedy Strikes in Uvalde County: Two Dead and 10 Hospitalized After Suspected Human Smuggling Operation on Freight Train

Two people are dead and 10 others hospitalized after an unknown medical emergency on board a freight train in Uvalde County, Texas, on Friday. The train was bound from Eagle Pass, Texas, and was stopped a few miles west of Knippa, Texas.

The incident is being investigated as a suspected human smuggling operation, according to local authorities and a senior U.S. official. As many as 15 people needing medical attention were found on the train after it was stopped, and five of them were flown to hospitals in the San Antonio area.

The Uvalde Police Department said in a statement that 12 of the patients, including the two who died, were found in a shipping container, while three other people were found in a “hopper car,” used to transport bulk material such as grain or coal. Two of the patients were pronounced dead at the scene, and the other 10 were transported to local hospitals.

Union Pacific, the railway company operating the train, said in a statement that four of the 10 hospitalized patients were flown to facilities in San Antonio. The cause of the medical emergency is still unknown, and the investigation is ongoing.

The incident has raised concerns about the safety of migrants who are attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. The Uvalde Police Department said it is working with local, state, and federal agencies to investigate the incident and to ensure the safety of those involved.