Mass casualty situation declared after migrants fall from California border wall near San Diego
San Diego, California – At least 10 migrants were hurt after falling off the California border wall near Border Field State Park on Saturday. A Border Patrol agent at the scene asked for help, which is what caused the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department to declare a “mass casualty” situation.
Six ambulances transferred 10 injured to nearby hospitals
There were six ambulances that took people who were hurt to nearby hospitals. Reports say that some of individuals who were hurt had broken bones. It is important to note that some children who were not hurt in the accident were taken with their injured parents in ambulances. This incident is just another reminder of all the dangers families face while trying to cross the border and enter in the United States.
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Pedro Rios, who runs the U.S./Mexico Border Program for the American Friends Service Committee, talked about how often these kinds of things happen. According to Rios, refugees often get hurt when they fall or get burned while using ropes to climb down the wall. It happens almost every day in San Diego, which is known for being one of the busiest places for illegal crosses.
At one point, more than 100 people were reportedly staying near the wall
Rios, who was in the area before the accident, saw more than 100 people standing near the wall. He said that the wall was probably more slippery than normal because of the rain. He believes that the rain was the main reason for several people falling of the wall. This incident is just another reminder of the dangers faced by migrants attempting to scale the border wall, a risk that has been further exacerbated by recent additions to the structure.
Read also: Murder investigation initiated after two men found dead near U.S. border in San Diego
Because growing number of people are trying to cross the border, new features have been added to parts of the barrier at Friendship Park, which is between San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico. These features make it harder to jump over. These metal pieces that look like roofs are currently just prototypes, but they are meant to keep people from climbing over the wall.
But Rios has previously said that he is worried about how these features could kill people, pointing out that more and more people are needing medical help after falling, and some of these people may not even be found if they fall on the Mexican side of the border.
Majority of Americans want budling a border wall in recent poll
This incident arrives amidst a heated debate on immigration policies in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential race, with immigration emerging as a pivotal issue. A recent study from Monmouth University found that a large majority of Americans think illegal immigration is a very important problem, and more than half of those people want to build a wall along the border.
This latest mass casualty incident further highlights the human cost of the ongoing immigration crisis at the US-Mexico border, raising questions about the balance between border security and the safety and well-being of those seeking a new life in the United States.
