At least 46 people have been found dead in an abandoned lorry on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas.
16 individuals, including four children, had also been evacuated to the hospital, according to a fire spokesman. The survivors had heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and they were “hot to the touch.” San Antonio, Texas, is a key transit hub for people traffickers and is located 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the US-Mexico border. Once they have managed to enter the country, unauthorized migrants are frequently met by human traffickers in isolated locations and transported there using lorries. They have families and probably sought a better life, according to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. It’s a dreadful human tragedy, to put it mildly.
According to San Antonio fire director Charles Hood, first responders responded to reports of a dead person in the area at around 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT). “We’re not meant to open a vehicle and discover a pile of dead people inside. None of us have that in mind when we go to work “said he. He continued by saying that the car’s driver had abandoned it and that it was without water and without a working air conditioner. As the summertime temperature in San Antonio reached 39.4C (103F) on Monday, it is thought that the victims most likely passed away from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Mexico’s Foreign Minister, Marcelo Ebrard, said that two Guatemalans were among those taken to hospital. The nationalities of the other victims were not immediately clear. Three people are being held in custody and the investigation has been handed over to federal agents. Mexican Consul General Rubén Minutti has been dispatched to the scene and the consulate in San Antonio said it would provide “all the support” if Mexican citizens are among the dead.
