At least 46 people have been confirmed dead, and 16 hospitalized in San Antonio, Texas. Officials said they died inside a truck carrying illegal immigrants.
Fire chief Charles Hood confirmed that 16 people were rescued alive from the truck.
“We were able to transport 16 people, 12 adults, and four [kids].” He said all the sixteen people “were conscious at the time of the transportation.”
The fire chief added that the survivors were suffering from heatstroke and heat exhaustion, and there was no water and a working air condition unit in the vehicle.
San Antonio police chief also told journalists how the distressed immigrants were noticed by a worker that heard a cry for help.
“…ten minutes to six this afternoon, a worker… heard a cry for help, came out to investigate, found a trailer with the doors partially open, opened it more to take a look and found a number of deceased individuals inside,” the Police chief told journalists.
He said three suspects are in detention, but it has not been confirmed if they were involved in the incident.
According to the Mayor of the city, Ron Nirenberg, “There are, that we know of, 46 individuals who are no longer with us, who had families, who were likely trying to find a better life. And we have 16 folks who are fighting for their lives in the hospital.”
The Mayor said the dead migrants were asylum seekers.
“Migrants seeking asylum should always be treated as a humanitarian crisis, but this evening we’re facing a horrific human tragedy, Ron said on Twitter.
“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,” the Mayor added.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he was heartbroken by the incident.
“I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of life today and am praying for those still fighting for their lives. Far too many lives have been lost as individuals – including families, women, and children – take this dangerous journey,” Alejandro tweeted.
REACTIONS FROM REPUBLICANS
The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott (Republican), said Biden was responsible for the deaths of the 46 migrants. According to the Governor, “At Least 42 People Found Dead Inside Truck Carrying Migrants In Texas. These deaths are on Biden. They are a result of his deadly open border policies. They show the deadly consequences of his refusal to enforce the law.”
Senator Ted Cruz, the representative of Texas in the U.S Senate, said Democrats were responsible for the deaths.
“Horrific. This..is..WRONG. How many more people have to die before [Democrats] give a damn?” Cruz said on social media.
Recall that during President Trump’s four-year rule, his migration policies made it difficult for illegal immigrants to enter the U.S. Everything has changed since Biden became President. After one and a half years of Biden’s presidency, over 3.5 million illegal immigrants have entered the U.S. Some Republicans refer to it as the Biden border crisis.
Republicans believe that the border crisis is a sign of Biden’s incompetence. Biden criticized Trump’s closed border policies during his campaign in the 2020 Presidential elections. It is his turn to be criticized for doing the exact opposite of what Trump did.
According to CNN, two survivors were Guatemalans. Officials have not disclosed where the truck came from and where it was going.
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