SAN ANTONIO – Forty-six people were found dead in a tractor trailer in the Southwest, and 16 were transported to district hospitals, according to police and firefighters in San Antonio.
“It’s tagic,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “They had families … and they were probably trying to find a better life. This is nothing but a horrific human tragedy. “
Authorities said it was the largest mass casualty event they had seen in San Antonio.
“We hope that those responsible for placing these people in such inhumane conditions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Nirenberg said.
Authorities would not immediately confirm whether the victims were migrants or from which country.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said officers received a call 10 minutes before 6pm on Monday at block 9600 on Quintana Road when a man working nearby heard a cry for help.
As the worker approached, he saw several bodies inside an 18-wheeled trailer with the doors partially open.
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I WATCH: San Antonio officials provided information to find 46 bodies in an 18-wheeled trailer
Crews with the San Antonio Fire Department arrived at the scene to find “piles of bodies” in the trailer and many people too weak to let go, according to SAFD chief Charles Hood.
Hood said 46 people, men and women, ranging from teenagers to young adults, had been pronounced dead at the scene.
He said they died of heat stroke and heat exhaustion because the trailer did not have air conditioning and water.
Temperatures reached over 100 degrees on Monday.
The first responders helped 16 people – 12 adults and four minors – out of the trailer.
The survivors were rushed to local hospitals with heat-related injuries, Hood said.
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“I really hope they survive,” he said.
Ten medical units were used to transport the survivors. Hood said 60 SAFD members would be subjected to a behavioral assessment after responding to the scene.
Overall, he said the response “went very smoothly and very quickly”.
McManus said three people were in custody. However, he said he was not sure if they were related to the tragedy.
Many SAPD sources tell me that at least 40 people have died. Another 16 were taken to district hospitals under various conditions. The death toll could rise. https://t.co/zdb5KC6Q4M
– @dilloncollier June 28, 2022
McManus said federal internal security investigations would take over the investigation.
HSI officials issued the following statement Monday night:
“On June 27, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) responded to a call from the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) in connection with an alleged human smuggling incident involving a Quintana Road tractor trailer near Cassin Road. Upon arrival at the scene, HSI confirmed more than 40 deaths.
HSI San Antonio has launched an investigation with the support of SAPD. Details will be disclosed when available, the criminal investigation continues.
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HSI continues its implementation efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities. We will continue to address the serious threat to public safety posed by human trafficking organizations and their reckless disregard for the health and safety of smugglers. To report suspicious activity, we encourage people to call the HSI Tip Line on 1-866-DHS-2ICE. All calls are confidential. ”
Antonio Fernandez, chief executive of Catholic charities, said they were working to help survivors. He said the archbishop was devastated after hearing the news.
The Archbishop of San Antonio Gustavo Garcia-Siler issued the following statement:
“We pray for the souls of the 46 people who died in such a cruel, inhuman way tonight, and we also pray for the 16 survivors – 14 adults and four children – as well as their families and all the first to respond who they helped and saved lives and now they have to carry with them the memories of this scene of the massacre. I call on everyone in the archdiocese to unite in solidarity, as these brothers and sisters are members of our family. We also pray to the Lord for mercy and understanding at this time of trials and sufferings, still remembering our beloved in Uwalde. Give us strength, Lord, to do Your will. Help us, God. ”
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KSAT meteorologists said the high temperature reached 101 degrees before falling at 2pm on Monday after the rain arrived.
KSAT will update this history with the latest information as it becomes available.
Copyright 2022 by KSAT – All rights reserved.
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