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San Antonio: Eight found dead in truck in Walmart car park San Antonio: Truck death toll rises to nine
(about 9 hours later)
Eight suspected illegal immigrants have been found dead inside a trailer truck parked outside a Walmart store in the US state of Texas, authorities say. Police in the US state of Texas have arrested a truck driver whose vehicle was found in a Walmart car park with eight people dead in the back of it, two of them children.
Twenty others were in critical condition, some suffering from heatstroke or dehydration, and taken to hospital in the city of San Antonio. Later, a ninth person died at a local hospital, an immigration and customs spokesman said.
Police did not say where the vehicle came from, but said the driver has been arrested and would be charged. Thirty others were inside the trailer without air conditioning or water while outside temperatures hit 38C (110F).
They are investigating a possible people-smuggling offence. Twenty were airlifted to hospital and eight more hospitalised by other means.
The US immigration department is trying to establish the victims' status. Police say they believe the incident is linked to people smuggling.
San Antonio is a few hours' drive from the border with Mexico. San Antonio is a few hours' drive from the border with Mexico and the US immigration department is trying to establish the victims' legal status.
Police Chief William McManus said in a press briefing that the bodies were discovered after a call from a Walmart employee, who had been approached by someone from the truck asking for water. Officials were brought to the trailer by a man who had approached an employee of the Walmart and asked for water.
Video footage from the store showed a number of vehicles arriving to pick up some of the survivors. The driver would be charged in connection with the "horrible tragedy", said San Antonio police chief William McManus in a press briefing.
"We're looking at a human trafficking crime this evening," he added. He said the people ranged from school age to in their 30s.
Several others may have managed to escape on foot into the woods nearby. Video footage from the store showed a number of vehicles arriving to pick up some of the survivors. Several others may have managed to escape on foot into the woods nearby.
Local fire chief Charles Hood said they had arrived at the scene just after midnight to find eight people dead in the back of the trailer truck, which had no functioning air conditioning and no signs of water inside. "We're looking at a human trafficking crime this evening," Mr McManus added.
The survivors had heart rates of over 130 beats per minute and were very hot to touch. In addition to the 20 people in a critical condition, eight others were taken to hospital in a less severe state. Local fire chief Charles Hood said the survivors had heart rates of over 130 beats per minute and were very hot to touch. In addition to the 20 people in a critical condition, eight others were taken to hospital in a less severe state.
The fire chief confirmed at least two of the victims were school-age children. Their condition is not clear.The fire chief confirmed at least two of the victims were school-age children. Their condition is not clear.
"We're very fortunate that there weren't 38 of these people who were all locked inside this vehicle dead," he added."We're very fortunate that there weren't 38 of these people who were all locked inside this vehicle dead," he added.
The US attorney for the Western District of Texas, Richard Durbin, said the authorities were working to identify those responsible for the incident.The US attorney for the Western District of Texas, Richard Durbin, said the authorities were working to identify those responsible for the incident.
"These people were helpless in the hands of their transporters. Imagine their suffering, trapped in a stifling trailer in 100-plus degree heat," he said in a statement."These people were helpless in the hands of their transporters. Imagine their suffering, trapped in a stifling trailer in 100-plus degree heat," he said in a statement.
They were victims of "ruthless human smugglers indifferent to the wellbeing of their fragile cargo," he added. They were victims of "ruthless human smugglers indifferent to the wellbeing of their fragile cargo", he added.
Weather in the area has been hot and dry.