Status: 03/28/2023 1:24 p.m
At least 39 people died in a fire at a Mexican refugee camp, according to the government. Most of the victims are apparently migrants.
According to the authorities, there was a fire in a building of the Mexican Migration Authority (INM) in the city of Ciudad Juárez. At least 39 people died and 29 others were injured. Most of the fatalities are said to be refugees.
The cause of the fire is still unclear. According to media reports, the fire broke out on Monday evening after authorities apprehended around 70 migrants who were on the city’s streets. According to INM, 68 refugees from Central and South America live in the accommodation.
Often for months in overcrowded accommodation
Ciudad Juárez in northern Mexico borders directly on the city of El Paso in the US state of Texas. The shelters are often overcrowded because many people are waiting for an opportunity to cross the border or have applied for asylum in the United States.
Many of them stay in migrant facilities for months or even years.