Majority of 50 migrants found dead in U.S. were Mexicans: Lopez Obrador

MEXICO CITY, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday said most of the 50 migrants found dead inside a tractor trailer in the U.S. city of San Antonio, Texas, were Mexicans, and called it a "terrible tragedy."

The migrants were discovered on Monday inside an abandoned trailer amid extreme heat in the southern U.S. city.

Among the deceased were 22 Mexicans, seven Guatemalans, two Hondurans and 19 others who have yet to be unidentified, Lopez Obrador said.

"This is bitter proof that we must continue to insist on supporting people so that they do not need to leave their towns to seek a life on the other side of the border," he told reporters, referring to poverty reduction programs.

The president said he will raise immigration as a "central issue" when he meets with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden, and added Mexican authorities will conduct an investigation into the incident.

According to officials and experts, the rise in immigration in recent years has been driven by the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.