The family were killed by the cold, which reached -35°C around the time of their deaths, as they attempted to emigrate from India to the US, via Canada.

[2] Canadian police deduce that they then travelled towards the US border by road, due to the lack of air travel records in the family names, arriving in Emerson, Manitoba on January 18, 2022.

[2] The Patel family and seven others attempted to walk across the border, as part of an immigration scheme.

[2] The Patel family's death increased public and media awareness of the Indian people smugglers using Canada as a waypoint to get to the United States.

[3] Police in India arrested two men on January 16, 2022 and charged with crimes including human trafficking and causing death.