A tragic incident that occurred this Tuesday on the highway segment Villa Comaltitlán-Huixtla, in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, left six migrants dead and several injured after military personnel mistakenly opened fire on a truck transporting migrants of various nationalities, including Cubans.
The Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA) issued a press release on the social network X informing that, approximately at 8:50 PM, army members were preparing to conduct ground reconnaissance when they detected a pickup truck traveling at high speed.
The driver of the vehicle, upon seeing the military personnel, took evasive actions. Behind the pickup truck, two flatbed trucks were moving, "like those used by criminal groups in that region," the statement indicated.
He pointed out that the military personnel thought they heard detonations, which caused two members to discharge their weapon, "stopping one of the pickup trucks in its tracks."
The shot-up truck was carrying 33 migrants of various nationalities, of which four died on the spot and 12 were injured, being transferred to the General Hospital of Huixtla, where two more died.
The text of the document states that the migrants were of various nationalities, including Egyptian, Nepali, Cuban, Hindu, Pakistani, and Arab.
The 17 migrants who were unharmed were placed under the custody of the National Institute of Migration.
The responsible military personnel were removed from their duties while the Attorney General's Office of the Republic and the Military Justice Prosecutor's Office investigate the incident to determine responsibilities.
The statement indicated that coordination was established with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to maintain contact with the corresponding embassies.
Additionally, it emphasized that SEDENA, within the scope of its competence, "reaffirms its commitment to act with strict adherence to the rule of law, under a policy of zero impunity, and is attentive to requests from civil authorities for the clarification of the facts."
The news portal Diario del Sur reported that the two migrants who died upon arriving at the hospital due to the severity of their injuries were identified as Selvia, 18 years old, and Neima, 42 years old, both women from the Republic of Egypt.
In the emergency room of the hospital, 12 injured migrants were treated, including three of Egyptian nationality: Salas, 50 years old; Salas, 14 years old; and Aya, 30 years old. Four migrants from Nepal also received medical attention: Oli, 21 years old; Dinesh, 23 years old; Subasta, 28 years old; and Shajan, 24 years old.
According to Diario del Sur, a 29-year-old man from Pakistan was also admitted, along with four other individuals who have yet to be identified.
Additionally, they indicated that the four deceased at the accident site and the two women who died upon arrival at the hospital were transferred to the Forensic Medical Service (SEMEFO), on board the forensic services vehicle of the State Attorney General's Office of the Coastal Zone.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under: