The bodies of 17 migrants killed in fire in Mexico arrive in Guatemala

With a brief ceremony, relatives and officials of Guatemala received this Tuesday at a military air base in the capital the bodies of 17 of 19 migrants Guatemalans who died in a fire at a detention center in Mexicoa tragedy that left 40 dead.

The 17 coffins, each covered with flowers and the flag of Guatemalawere placed in a row to one side of the runway where a minute of silence was held for the victims of the incident that occurred on March 27 in Juarez City (north, border with USA).

LOOK HERE: Judge opens trial against probable perpetrators of death of 40 migrants

“To name MexicoWe deeply regret what happened in this tragedy. We are working so that this never happens again“, said Laura Carrillodirector of the Mexican Agency for International Cooperationafter a military plane landed with the bodies on the runway shared by the Army and the international airport The Aurora.

During the ceremony, officials from the local chancellery stationed themselves for a few minutes next to the coffins with the photographs of the deceased migrants who were later transferred in hearses to their communities, where they will be veiled and buried, most of them in indigenous regions of the west of the country

Guatemalan Foreign Minister Mario Bucarowho accompanied the transfer from Mexico, added that together with the Mexican authorities they worked to “achieve an effective identification process“and they will pawn”especially to achieve judgment, punishment and reparationfor the tragedy.

In the coming days, the repatriation of the bodies of two other Guatemalan migrants, whose identity confirmation through DNA testing was pending, will be completed, the Foreign Ministry said.

Mexico also repatriated this Tuesday six migrants by air to Honduraswhere the authorities awaited his reception.

The Mexican government began the repatriation of the deceased last Friday with the transfer of a Colombian and seven Salvadorans.

According to the Mexican authorities, the fire started when a migrant set fire to a mattress in the cell where he was staying with 67 other men, in the midst of a protest over a possible deportation.

In total, 19 Guatemalans, seven Salvadorans, seven Venezuelans, six Hondurans and one Colombian lost their lives.

Images from a security camera showed that once the fire broke out, neither immigration nor security personnel did anything to evacuate the migrants.

MORE INFORMATION: The number of migrants killed by fire in Mexico rises to 40

Under homicide charges, Mexican authorities confirmed the capture of the migrant accused of causing the fire, who was detained along with four other people: three officials from the INM and a private security guard.

The sixth suspect is another private guard, who remains on the run.

The president of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obradorhas guaranteed that the case will not remain in the “impunity”.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.