How 46 Migrants Were Found Dead In Texas City | READ FULL DETAILS
Thompson Nsisongabasi
Jun 28, 2022
How 46 Migrants Were Found Dead In Texas City | READ FULL DETAILS
46 migrants have on Monday, been found dead in and around a truck that was abandoned on the roadside on the outskirts of the Texas city of San Antonio.
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The grim discovery was one of the worst disasters involving migrants in the United States in recent years - and came five years after a similar deadly incident in the same central Texas city, a few hours from the Mexican border.
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"At this time we have processed approximately 46 bodies that have been triaged and tagged and declared deceased,ÔÇØ San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told reporters.
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He said that 16 people had been transported to hospital alive and conscious - 12 adults and four children.
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There were no initial details on the age or nationality of the deceased.
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"The patients that we saw were hot to the touch, they were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion, no signs of water in the vehicle, it was a refrigerated tractor-trailer but there was no visible working A/C unit on that rig,ÔÇØ Hood said.
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Officials said three people were in custody over the incident.
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"Tonight we are dealing with a horrific human tragedy,ÔÇØ San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg told a press conference.
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"So I would urge you all to think compassionately and pray for the deceased, the ailing, the families,ÔÇØ he said.
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"And we hope that those responsible for putting these people in such inhumane conditions are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.ÔÇØ
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San Antonio, which lies about 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the border, is a major transit route for people smugglers.
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It has also been gripped by a record-breaking recent heat wave, and temperatures in the area hit 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.5 degrees Celsius) on Monday.
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The vehicle was found on a road near Highway I-35, a major US artery that stretches all the way to the border with Mexico.
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A massive emergency operation was underway at the scene involving police, firefighters and ambulances.
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According to San Antonio police chief William McManus, authorities were first alerted by an emergency call at about 5:50 pm local time (2250 GMT).
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"A worker who works in one of the buildings up here behind me heard a cry for help,ÔÇØ he told reporters. "(He) came out to investigate, found a trailer with the doors partially open, opened them up to take a look, and found a number of deceased individuals inside.ÔÇØ
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He said the probe had been turned over to the federal Department of Homeland Security.
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Dozens of emergency responders who had worked at the scene were meanwhile undergoing a stress debriefing.
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"We're not supposed to open up a truck and see stacks of bodies in there, none of us come to work imagining that,ÔÇØ Hood said.
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— Thompson Nsisongabasi