Eight dead, 37 rescued after attempt to cross Rio Grande to US

At least eight people have been found dead in the Rio Grande river after dozens attempted a hazardous crossing to enter the United States from Mexico near Eagle Pass, Texas, officials said.

US officials recovered six bodies, while Mexican teams recovered two others, US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement on Friday.

US and Mexican officials made the grim discovery on Thursday while responding to a large group of people crossing the river following days of heavy rains that had resulted in particularly swift currents.

The US border agency said US crews rescued 37 others from the river and detained 16 more, while Mexican officials took 39 into custody.

Officials on both sides of the border are continuing to search for other possible victims, the US customs and border force said.

Details were not provided as to what country or countries the people were from and no additional information on the rescue or search was given.

The US Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, is fast becoming the busiest corridor for people attempting to cross into the US.

The sector may soon surpass Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, which has been the focus for the last decade.