At Least 40 Dead in Fire at Migrant Detention Center on US-Mexico Border

At least 40 people have died in a fire that broke out in a Mexican migrant facility.

The blaze began in a detention facility on the U.S.-Mexico border about 10 p.m. Monday, the National Immigration Institute of Mexico said. There were 68 men from Central and South America in the center.

Those residing in the shelter in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas, were awaiting an appointment from U.S. authorities to request asylum, officials said. 

Video showed law enforcement officers, firefighters and medical personnel on the scene as the bodies of victims were arranged in rows and covered with silver blankets. 

Hospitals received 29 patients who were considered "seriously damaged."

For assistance in locating remains and informing loved ones, consulates for the countries the victims came from in Central and South America have been contacted.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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