On the day of the accident, the temperature in San Antonio rose to over 40 degrees.
11:12•Updated 11:36
A truck driver transporting illegal immigrants in Texas was allegedly unaware that the air conditioning in the vehicle’s trailer had failed.
This week, the bodies of 53 people were found in the trailer of a heavy vehicle in the US state of Texas.
According to San Antonio EMS, the people died from the heat. On Monday, the temperature in the city of San Antonio rose to almost 40 degrees. According to the authorities, no signs of water were found in the car.
In addition, 16 people were found alive in the vicinity of highway I-35 and transported to hospital. Four of those found alive were minors.
Those who died in the trailer were migrants
Earlier this week, the Texas Tribune reported that the trailer was found near Lackland Air Force Base on the west edge of San Antonio after a person working in a nearby building heard cries for help and went to investigate.
The 45-year-old man driving the vehicle was found on Monday evening. He was hiding in a bush near the car and was trying to pretend to be a surviving migrant.
The driver was arrested. In addition to him, another person related to the case was arrested. According to federal court documents, the men talked after the crash.
The accomplice claimed in conversations with the authorities that the driver did not know that the air conditioner had failed in the trailer.
Texas has the death penalty. Both men face even the death penalty if found guilty of smuggling.
According to the authorities, the dead were migrants who had crossed the border between Mexico and the United States illegally.
The immigrants came from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
The local police have also started another investigation. On Friday, the police found another, abandoned vehicle near the vehicle with the trailer. According to CBS, there were 13 migrants in the car.
The number of illegal border crossings has increased to a record high on the border between Texas and Mexico. In May, US authorities prevented 239,000 people from illegally crossing the border with Mexico.