The deaths of 39 migrants killed in the fire are being investigated as homicides. The investigation focuses on eight people who are suspected of being responsible for the deaths.
Officials at a reception center in Mexico did nothing to save migrants at the mercy of a fire, says a prosecutor.
On Monday, a fire broke out at the reception center in Ciudad Juarez, killing at least 39 people. In addition, 27 people were injured in Turma.
There were more than 70 people in the center, mostly Venezuelans, when the fire broke out the night before Tuesday.
The authorities say they have identified eight officials who are suspected of being responsible for leaving the migrants at the mercy of the fire. According to the prosecutor, the case is being investigated as at least several suspected murders.
In the press conference he held on Wednesday local time, the prosecutor said that he would request four arrest warrants on the same day and the remaining four on Thursday.
– Not a single official or security guard of a private company took any steps to open the door for those migrants who were behind the locks, said the prosecutor specializing in human rights issues Sara Irene Herrerias.
“The guilty will not go unpunished”
Former President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed that the perpetrators of the tragedy would not go unpunished.
The actions of the authorities in dealing with the accident attracted a lot of criticism, especially after the video footage recorded by the security camera became public. In the video, the guards are seen leaving the scene while the flames spread in the cell containing the migrants.
Ciudad Juarez, located on the border between Mexico and the United States, has a large number of undocumented migrants trying to enter the United States.
Last month, the United States administration approved new tightening of the legislation, according to which those who crossed the border illegally can no longer automatically apply for asylum in the United States. In the future, they must apply for asylum in one of the countries through which they entered the United States.
Alternatively, you can apply for asylum in the United States online.
About 200,000 people try to cross the border from Mexico to the United States every month.
Sources: AFP, Reuters, STT