Indian village mourns family who froze to death on U.S.-Canada border

Relatives of Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel, who along with his wife and their two children froze to death near the border between the United States and Canada last week, gather to mourn the deaths at Patel?s home in Dingucha village in the western state of Gujarat, India, January 28, 2022. REUTERS/Amit Dave

DINGUCHA, India (Reuters) - Relatives and neighbours of the Indian family who froze to death near the US-Canada border last week said the father repeatedly failed to secure better paid jobs in recent years, prompting them to take a risky trip aided by an illegal migrant network.

The deaths amid sub-zero temperatures, described as a "mind blowing" tragedy by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, have cast a spotlight on the economic pressures and human smuggling operations in Indian premier Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat.