A trapped body in a sewage intake pipe resulted in a backup that caused 14.5 million gallons of raw sewage to leak from Mexico into the United States. Officials say they do not know how the body ended up in the pipe along the Tijuana River and are actively investigating the circumstances of the person's death.
When a cleanup crew arrived on the scene, they found that trash had piled up around the intake pipe and discovered the body while they were removing the garbage.
"Police got involved and cordoned off the area, preventing any activity in the crime area while the investigation continued. A body was trapped inside the intake screens. This caused trash to build up and plug the structure and overflow into the U.S.," International Boundary Water Commission spokesman Dawi Dakhil said.
Workers cleared the body and had to build a temporary berm to stop the overflow. The pump is operational, and no more sewage is flowing into the United States.
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