"Mexican families mourn workers claimed by Covid in the US – photo essay", 7th August 2020

...On Saturday 11 July, a plane arrived in Mexico City with the remains of nearly 250 Mexican migrant workers who had died of Covid-19 in the US. A solemn ceremony was held with the participation of the consul general for New York, Jorge Islas López, who had helped organise the repatriation flight.

Most of the urns carrying ashes on the flight came from three east coast states – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut– and nearly half were destined for the state of Puebla, the home that many Mexicans had not returned to for years while they were working in the US.

Two days later the families of the dead lined up to receive the ashes, which had been transported from the capital all the way to the state government’s palace, Casa Aguayo in Puebla City. Government officials placed flowers on top of the boxes covered in black cloth while family members remained in the palace waiting for their names to be called...