• 46 people, believed to be migrants, were found dead in an abandoned truck in San Antonio, Texas.
  • 16 others survived, but suffered heat stroke and heat exhaustion, officials said.
  • There was no sign of water or air-conditioning in the truck amid San Antonio's sweltering heat.

There was no sign of water or air-conditioning in the abandoned truck in San Antonio, Texas, in which 46 people were found dead, an official has said. 

Even though the truck had a refrigerated trailer, there was "no visible working A/C unit" on board, Charles Hood, San Antonio's fire chief, said at a press conference on Monday.

Temperatures in San Antonio soared to more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity on Monday, according to local news outlet KSAT. 

Those who survived in the truck were "hot to the touch," Hood said. "They were suffering from heat stroke, heat exhaustion," he said of the 16 people who have since been taken to local hospitals. All of them were conscious while being transported, he added. 

The tractor-trailer was found at a remote site in San Antonio, according to KSAT. The victims are believed to be undocumented migrants entering the US illegally, per The New York Times.

"We're not supposed to open a truck and see stacks of bodies in there," Hood said at the press briefing.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said three people had been detained though he did not specify if the truck's driver was among them. Earlier in the day, police searched for the driver, who appeared to have abandoned the truck before it was discovered, per The Times.

"Migrants seeking asylum should always be treated as a humanitarian crisis, but this evening we're facing a horrific human tragedy," Mayor Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio tweeted. "More than 40 hopeful lives were lost. I urge you to think compassionately, pray for the deceased, the ailing, and their families at this moment."

 

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