Key takeaways:
- At least 40 people have died and 28 have been seriously injured in a fire at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
- The victims were trapped behind padlocked doors and unable to escape the smoke.
- The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants in Mexico and the need for improved safety measures in migrant detention centers.
At least 40 people have died and 28 have been seriously injured in a fire at a migrant detention center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The tragedy occurred late Monday night when smoke began billowing out of the facility.
Viangly Infante Padrón, a Venezuelan migrant, was terrified when she saw the smoke, as her husband had been detained there earlier in the day. She recounted how she saw immigration agents rush out of the building after the fire started.
According to Mexican authorities, the Estancia Provisional de Ciudad Juárez was overcrowded and the victims were trapped behind padlocked doors. They were unable to escape the smoke and yelled for help in vain.
The tragedy comes as a result of a recent crackdown on migrants in the city, which had netted 67 other migrants who were asking for handouts or washing car windows at stoplights. About a dozen women had been detained at the facility right before the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and authorities are working to identify the victims and provide assistance to the injured. The tragedy serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by migrants in Mexico and the need for improved safety measures in migrant detention centers.
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