Fire leaves 37 dead and dozens more injured at Mexican migration center mere feet from US border
Conrad Hoyt
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At least 37 people are dead and dozens more are injured after a fire broke out at a migration center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, mere feet from the U.S. border, local media reported early Tuesday morning.
The fire erupted Monday night at the National Institute of Migration in the border city, according to KVIA journalist Heriberto Lara. Authorities previously said eight to 12 people were feared dead, per the El Paso Times, but that number began quickly rising.
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In addition to Juarez police officers, the Mexican National Guard, the Mexican Army, and the Institute of Migration are assisting in the rescue and recovery operation, according to Lara.
Hours before the fire, Institute of Migration personnel removed hundreds of migrants from street corners where they were cleaning windows, selling sweets, or asking for money, per Alfredo Corchado of Dallas Morning News. Many of them were believed to be Venezuelans.
Corchado added that many migrants had been arriving to Ciudad Juarez in recent weeks with the expected lifting of Title 42. The migration center is just feet away from being within the U.S. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is expected to visit the city on Friday.
The cause of the fire has not yet been shared by authorities. The death toll is expected to continue rising.
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Ciudad Juarez is the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, located just south of El Paso, Texas. It has been known for being a dangerous and impoverished city, and with its close proximity to the U.S., as a hub for smuggling illegal immigrants and drugs into America.