At least 46 people have been found dead in a truck that allegedly transported migrants from Mexico to Texas.
Local officials said the bodies were discovered Monday in a sweltering 18-wheeled truck that was along railroad tracks in a remote area on the outskirts of San Antonio.
Sixteen people, including four children, were taken to local hospitals. The patients were exhausted and “hot to the touch,” a San Antonio firefighter said, adding that there were no signs of water on board the truck.
The official added that their team had found “stacks of bodies” but said no children were among the dead.
San Antonio police said Monday night three people are in custody.
Temperatures have been scorching in San Antonio in recent days and climbed to 39.4C (103F) on Monday, with high humidity – and the temperature in a packed trailer with people probably exceeded it significantly.
Images posted by local media on Twitter show police vehicles and ambulances surrounding a large truck.
Large rig is a popular smuggling method for people trying to cross the Mexican border into the United States.
Greg Abbott, Texas’ Republican governor, was quick to blame the deaths on Joe Biden and pointed his finger at the US president’s “open border policy,” tweeting: