The bodies of four people, including a baby, were found on Wednesday a few meters from the Canada-US border, in the center, on a road taken by migrants, Canadian police announced Thursday, January 20.
“
Our initial findings lead us to believe that they would all have died of hypothermia
,” detailed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP, federal police), in a press release.
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The bodies of three victims, two adults and a baby, were found Wednesday "
about 12 meters from the Canada-US border
", 10 kilometers east of Emerson (Manitoba, central). “
The body of what appears to be a teenager
” was later found, police said.
Shortly before, in the morning, American border agents had apprehended a group of people who had just crossed the border.
One was carrying baby items but no babies were in the group.
A search was then immediately launched on both sides of the border.
After four hours of excavations in very difficult conditions, the first bodies were discovered.
The police are working to identify the victims, whose nationality has not been specified, and are continuing to search the area.
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At a press conference, Manitoba Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy said it was likely they "
were left alone in the middle of the blizzard when it was about -35, taking into account the wind
." She said the victims found themselves in the middle of the night facing huge fields covered with a heavy layer of snow, which was "
insurmountable
" on foot. The police had to use snowmobiles and other all-terrain vehicles to search the area.
In recent years, the small town of Emerson has become one of the routes used by migrants between the two North American countries.
Jane MacLatchy notes that attempts to cross had been less frequent for a year, marked by a closure of the border due to the Covid pandemic.
Central and eastern Canada are facing a polar cold snap with temperatures below -30°C made worse by the wind.