At least 10 dead as van reportedly carrying migrants crashes in Texas


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At least 10 people were killed after a passenger van suspected of transporting two dozen undocumented migrants was in a road accident in Texas on Wednesday, state officials and a witness said.

Texas Department of Public Security troopers said they were investigating a “major crash” near Falfurrias, a few miles from the Mexican border in the state's south-east.

A Ford passenger van was speeding north on a motorway when, a witness said, around 4pm, the driver “veered off the roadway, striking a metal utility pole and a stop sign".

“The driver and nine passengers were pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash,” the Texas Highway Patrol said in a statement.

Brooks County Sheriff Urbino Martinez said there were 30 people in the vehicle at the time of the accident, The New York Times reported.

“It appears that they are undocumented immigrants, but we have to work with consulates,” Department of Public Security spokesman Sgt Nathan Brandley told AFP.

Earlier, the department said that 20 people had been transferred to hospital following the crash.

Smugglers often use overcrowded vehicles to ship migrants from the border.

In March, a reported smuggler was charged after 13 people died in a collision between a lorry and a crowded vehicle in southern California.

Migrant arrivals to the US had declined markedly at the onset of the pandemic but began to pick up slightly in 2020, before surging since President Joe Biden took office.

Republicans have accused Mr Biden of causing the spike in arrivals by relaxing the migration policies imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

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Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.

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Always use only regulated platforms

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Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Tips to stay safe during hot weather
  • Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

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RESULT

Norway 1 Spain 1
Norway: King (90 4')
Spain: Niguez (47')

Updated: August 05, 2021, 3:16 PM`