On the 27th, the police in San Antonio, Texas, USA found 50 bodies in an 18-wheel truck abandoned on the outskirts of the city. They were suspected to have died due to high temperature or suffocation. They also found 16 survivors and were rushed to local hospitals for treatment. "The Washington Post" pointed out that this is the deadliest human smuggling tragedy in the history of the United States.
The New York Times reported that all the deceased were presumed to be foreign immigrants who entered the country illegally. The San Antonio Fire Department said that 16 survivors, including four children, were sent to the hospital for emergency treatment due to heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Officials also said three people were detained following the incident. It has not yet been determined whether these three people are involved in the case.
Fire Chief Hood said that a worker working near the abandoned container truck heard a faint cry for help on the evening of the 27th. He walked closer and found the truck's container door was half open and there was a body on the ground. He quickly called the police. After the police arrived, they opened the container door and were shocked to see the tragic situation of stacked bodies. A large number of personnel and ambulances were dispatched to the scene for rescue.
Hood said the men were found in a refrigerated container truck, but the air conditioning unit was not running. The New York Times reported that the cause of death of the deceased has yet to be confirmed, but San Antonio and other Texas cities have experienced high temperatures due to heat waves this month. On the 27th, the local temperature soared to 39.5 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was also high. The police are currently searching for the whereabouts of the container truck driver.
Police sources said that the dead included more than 20 Mexicans, 7 Guatemalan and two Hondurans, and the police have not yet completed the investigation. Mexico Foreign Minister Ebrard said on the 27th that it was a tragedy that immigrants suffocated to death in a container truck. Among the 16 people rescued, 2 were confirmed to be Guatemalans.
