Mexican consulate to help repatriate crash victims

EL PASO, TXEL PASO, Texas

Embassy spokesman Ricardo Alday said Wednesday the consulate was contacting the victims' relatives. He tells The Associated Press most of the dead were from the southern state of Oaxaca.

Alday also said consulate officials had contacted crash survivors. The embassy wouldn't release their identities because of privacy issues.

Authorities say the eight-passenger van had at least 19 occupants when it crashed Tuesday night after the driver sped away from a Border Patrol traffic stop about 10 miles from McAllen.

Eight remain in custody pending investigation of the accident and immigration statuses of the eight.

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