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Trump’s border wall blows down in high winds

A sections of Donald Trump’s border wall between the United States and Mexico has blown over in high winds, US border patrol officers have said.

The steel panels, more than nine metres (30ft) high, began to lean at a sharp angle on the border between the Californian town of Calexico and Mexicali in Mexico amid gusts on Wednesday.

The strong winds blew the panels over onto the Mexican side of the border before the concrete had cured, according to reports.

 “Luckily, Mexican authorities responded quickly and were able to divert traffic from the nearby street,” said border patrol agent Carlos Pitones.

The panels were being retrieved from the Mexican side and re-erected, Pitones said.

World-class security system

Trump signed his name on a newly constructed section of the US-Mexico border wall last year, calling it a “world-class security system” that will be virtually impenetrable.

Mr Trump toured a section of the border wall in San Diego’s Otay Mesa area, highlighting features which he said have been studied by three other countries.

He said the wall absorbs heat -“You can fry an egg on that wall” – the concrete goes deep into the ground to prevent tunnelling and agents can see through it to spot possible threats on the Mexican side of the border, he said.

“When the wall is built, it will be virtually impossible to come over illegally, and then we’re able to take border control and put them at points of entry,” Mr Trump said.

Related: Britain begins last full day in EU after Brexit deal passed

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

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