Deadliest border crossing: 50 Migrants found dead inside truck in Texas [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Texas officials found at least 46 people dead inside a tractor-trailer in San Antonio on Monday.
• The officials presumed a migrant smuggling attempt.
• New reports say the death toll had risen to 50. 

Law enforcement officials found 46 dead migrants in the back of a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas on Monday. Sixteen others, who suffered from heat-related injuries, were taken to local hospitals. New reports say the death toll had risen to 50. 

According to Police Chief William McManus, authorities were notified of a trailer with people inside crying for help. The call was received at approximately 5:50 p.m. local time from a worker who found dozens of dead bodies inside the tractor-trailer.

McManus said three people were taken into custody, though he noted that authorities aren’t certain if they were definitely connected to the incident. 

The 16 people who were being treated at the hospital were all conscious when they were found, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. He added that they were “weak” and unable to leave the trailer on their own.

“The patients that we saw were hot to the touch,” Hood added. “They were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion.”

He said there was no water or an air conditioner in the truck. It’s also not yet determined how long the migrants were in the truck before they were discovered. 

Officials say the group was a mix of men and women and none of the deceased appeared to be minors.

First responders were also briefed to help them process what they witnessed. 

“You’re not supposed to open up a truck and see stacks of bodies in there,” he said. “None of us come to work imagining that.”  

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg described the incident as “a horrific human tragedy.”

Homeland Security Investigations leads the investigation into the presumed human trafficking incident. The department is working with the San Antonio Police Department.

DHS said in a statement it is “Horrified at this tragic loss of life near San Antonio. This speaks to the desperation of migrants who would put their lives in the hands of callous human smugglers who show no regard for human life.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott blamed the incident on President Joe Biden’s immigration policies tweeting, “These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies.”

Source: NBC News