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At least 3 drown trying to cross Rio Grande; 7 rescued

Jul 26, 2017 | 6:15 AM

EL PASO, Texas — The bodies of at least three people were recovered Tuesday after they drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande from Mexico, federal and El Paso officials said.

The El Paso Fire Department water rescue team recovered the bodies of a teenage boy and girl and an adult woman on Tuesday, department spokesman Carlos Briano said.

All three were Guatemalan nationals, the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry said. Ministry spokesman Tekandi Paniagua said the boy was 16, the girl was 15 and the woman was 37.

“Our preliminary hypothesis is that, because of intense rains, the river’s flow rose as they crossed it,” Paniagua said.