Authorities are investigating after six people were found dead inside a Union Pacific cargo train boxcar at a rail yard in Laredo, Texas, on Sunday.
The bodies were discovered Sunday afternoon during a routine inspection by a Union Pacific employee before the train was scheduled to continue north, according to the Laredo Police Department, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Police said officers and emergency crews responded to the Union Pacific rail yard around 3 p.m. Authorities confirmed six fatalities — five men and one woman — at the scene.
Jose Espinoza, public information officer for the Laredo Police Department, told reporters the investigation remains in its early stages. The identities, ages and immigration status of the victims had not been released as of Monday morning.
Temperatures in Laredo climbed into the low-to-mid 90s Sunday afternoon, although officials have not determined whether heat played a role in the deaths. Autopsies are expected to be conducted by the Webb County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Union Pacific said it is cooperating with law enforcement agencies investigating the incident.
“Union Pacific is saddened by this incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate,” the railroad said in a statement.
Federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Rangers, are assisting with the investigation, according to reports.
Laredo is one of the country’s busiest trade gateways with Mexico and a major rail crossing hub for North American freight traffic. The city handles billions of dollars in cross-border commerce annually and sees roughly a dozen freight trains arrive daily from Mexico.
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