MEXICO CITY: Three hundred Central American migrants being transported in dangerous conditions in tractor-trailers were rescued in two Gulf coast states, Mexican authorities reported Saturday.
A statement from the National Immigration Institute said two trucks were stopped at a checkpoint before dawn in the northern state of Tamaulipas, which borders Texas.
Scanners detected people inside, and 198 migrants from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were found without proper ventilation, food or water, and with practically no space to move. Photos released by the institute showed dozens of people inside a shipping container huddled in jackets and blankets.
“They were traveling in deplorable conditions,” the statement said.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
The migrants told authorities they began their journey in Tabasco state and traveled through Veracruz to reach Tamaulipas.
They said the highway where the vehicles were discovered between Ciudad Victoria and Linares, Nuevo Leon state, has been identified by human smugglers as a way to avoid controls on the road from Veracruz to the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, across from McAllen, Texas
A separate statement described a similar discovery Friday afternoon in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, saying a truck was found carrying 102 Central Americans who “displayed signs of dehydration and suffocation” and whose lives were at risk.
Dozens of children were among the migrants in the trucks.
Also Saturday, Mexico’s Navy reported that the coast guard rescued seven Cubans from a makeshift raft that was adrift Friday about 150 miles (240 kilometers) northeast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
An aircraft located the men’s raft, made up of plastic foam blocks lashed to wooden poles with a rudimentary sail, and coordinated with a coast guard ship to retrieve them. The Cubans were given water and food, and were said to be in good health.
Central American migrants found in dangerously cramped trucks in Mexico
Central American migrants found in dangerously cramped trucks in Mexico
Iran war unsettles India’s packaged water makers as bottles, caps get pricey
- Higher polymer prices hurt bottled water industry
- Industry worth $5 billion has big multinational players like Pepsi, Coca-Cola
NEW DELHI: The Iran war is rattling India’s $5 billion packaged water market just ahead of the sweltering summer season.
One of the world’s fastest growing bottled water markets is seeing some manufacturers hike prices for distributors, as supply disruptions linked to the war fuel higher costs in everything from plastic bottles to caps, labels and cardboard boxes.
Though retail prices are yet to feel the heat and bigger companies are absorbing the pain, about 2,000 smaller bottled water makers have increased rates for their resellers by around 1 rupee per bottle, a 5 percent hike, which will rise by a further 10 percent in coming days, according to the Federation of All India Packaged Drinking Water Manufacturers’ Association.
Consumers usually pay less than 20 rupees, or around 20 US cents, for a one-liter bottle.
“There is chaos and within the next 4-5 days, this will start impacting customer prices,” said Apurva Doshi, the federation’s secretary general.
Rising oil prices have increased the cost of polymer, which is made from crude oil and is a key material for the industry’s plastic bottles. The cost of material used in making plastic bottles has risen by 50 percent to 170 rupees per kilogram, while the price of the caps has more than doubled to 0.45 rupees apiece. Even corrugated boxes, labels and adhesive tape are costing much more, industry letters showed.
Clean water is a privilege in the country of 1.4 billion people where researchers say 70 percent of the groundwater is contaminated, leaving people reliant on bottled water. Companies including Bisleri, Coca-Cola’s Kinley, Pepsi’s Aquafina, billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance and Tata all compete for a share of the $5 billion market. The companies did not respond to Reuters request for comment.
PREMIUM WATER FACES HEAT TOO
Within the broad bottled water market, natural mineral water is a $400 million business in India and a new, fast-growing wellness product for India’s wealthy.
The premium water segment accounted for 8 percent of the bottled water market last year in India, compared to just 1 percent in 2021, Euromonitor says.
Aava, which sells mineral water sourced from the foothills of the Aravalli mountains, has increased prices of its water bottles by 18 percent for resellers, Shiroy Mehta, CEO of the company, told Reuters.
“Most manufacturers are absorbing 40-50 percent of the cost to ensure that they don’t lose clients. It’s a poor situation for the beverage industry ahead of the summer season,” he said.
The mass market, however, is dominated by companies that produce “drinking water” to be sold in 1-liter bottles to customers. Clear Premium Water, a brand of India’s Energy Beverages, said in a notice to its distributors there had been an “unprecedented and continuous surge” in prices of key raw materials used in packaging and production.
“It is no longer possible for us to absorb the escalating costs while maintaining existing product prices,” the notice said.
