Photo: Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP
The remains of six individuals have been pulled from the St. Lawrence River, which is located near Canada’s border with the United States.
The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS) said thebodies were foundThursday afternoon in a marshy area in Akwesasne, Quebec.
“Thesix individuals are believed to be from two families, one of Romanian descent, and the other believed to be citizens of India,” police said during a press conference on Friday. “The deceased included five adults and one child under the age of 3, who was a Canadian citizen.”
“All are believe to have been attempting illegal entry into the United States from Canada,” police said Friday.
Police went on to say they believe “one infant from the Romanian family has not been located,” and that that the search is ongoing. Lee-Ann O’Brien, deputy chief of Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, said that the missing child has a Canadian passport, perReuters.
The first body was located around 5 p.m.during an air search of the area, police said in a statement released on Thursday.
A Coast Guard helicopter crewnoticed the bodiesin the water during an air search for a separate incident, Akwesasne police chief Shawn Dulude said, per the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Tests have been ordered to determined causes of death for the individuals, none of whom have been publicly identified, reported theAssociated Press.
An investigation is ongoing, and police are continuing to search for additional victims.
Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP
Police said that there have been 48 illegal border crossing incidents in the Mohawk territory since January, and that a majority of the migrants are from India or Romania, according to the AP andThe Montreal Gazette.
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“This is a heartbreaking situation, particularly given the young child that was among them,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, per the AP. “We need to understand properly what happened, how it happened and do whatever we can to minimize the chances of this ever happening again.”
The deaths come just days after President Joe Biden and Trudeau agreed to close an illegal border crossing point between New York state to Quebec, per the outlets.
O’Brien said the Roxham Road closure is not connected to the St. Lawrence River deaths, according to the AP.
The Akwesasne police say there is no threat to the public in connection to Thursday’s deaths. They also reminded individuals in the surrounding communities that “illegal immigrants are human beings,” theGazettereported.
“These individuals are still deserving of respect and should not be exploited for monetary gains,” the department said, per the outlet.
source: people.com
