MIKE. CHECK 1, 2, MIKE CHECK. 1, 2, >> WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPEN
UP A TRUCK AND SEE STACKS OF
BODIES IN THERE. NONE OF US
COME TO WORK. I’M ASKING THAT.
>> TRAPPED IN A SEMI TRAILER IN
THE SEARING SOUTH, TEXAS HEAT.
A DEADLY DISCOVERY MADE ON SAN
ANTONIO’S SOUTHWEST SIDE.
DOZENS OF DEAD BODIES FOUND IN
THE BACK OF AN 18 WHEELER.
SEVERAL OTHERS RUSHED TO
HOSPITALS IN SAN ANTONIO.
THE STORY CHANGING WITHIN THE
PAST HOUR, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
DEAD CONTINUES TO RISE. SAN
ANTONIO FIRE SAYING THE VICTIMS
TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL
ALL HAD HEAT RELATED INJURIES.
STORY HAS CHANGED THROUGHOUT
THE NIGHT. YOU KNOW, WHEN WE
STARTED, WE HEARD THAT 20
PEOPLE WERE FOUND DEAD. BUT
TONIGHT THAT NUMBER IS ABOVE
40. SO HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW SO
FAR. 46 PEOPLE WERE FOUND DEAD
IN THE BACK OF A BIG RIG.
16 VICTIMS WERE TAKEN TO AREA
HOSPITALS. 12 OF THEM ADULTS, 4
OF THEM CHILDREN. THIS ALL
HAPPENING NEAR CAN TOGGLE ROAD
IN CASS AND DRIVE NOT ALL THAT
FAR FROM WHERE 35 SOUTH AND
LOOP 410, CROSS TONIGHT.
THE CITY SAYING THIS HAS NOW
BECOME A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION
WITH HOMELAND SECURITY TAKING
OVER THE NIGHT TEAM’S PATTY
SANTOS ON THE SCENE. HAD YOU
BEEN THERE? MOST OF THE
EVENING. WHAT CAN YOU TELL US
TONIGHT?
>> YES, THE 30’S REVEALED THAT
NUMBER OF 46 THERE WAS A SIGH
OF DISBELIEF FROM COMMUNITY
MEMBERS THAT HAVE GATHERED HERE
TO HEAR WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE.
THIS HAS BECOME THE LARGEST
MASS CASUALTY INVESTIGATION IN
OUR CITY, AT LEAST IN
RECENT HISTORY. NOW, FIRST
RESPONDERS ARRIVED TO THE SCENE
TO SEE STACKS OF BODIES DEAD
INSIDE THE SEMI TRUCK. HOMELAND
SECURITY IS NOW HANDLING THIS
INVESTIGATION OF WHO’S
RESPONSIBLE. BUT WE ARE TOLD
3 PEOPLE ARE IN CUSTODY.
FIRE INVESTIGATORS SAY THE
BODIES WERE HOT TO THE TOUCH.
THERE WAS NO SIGN OF WATER IN
THE TRUCK OR EVEN
REFRIGERATION. EVERYONE WAS
SUFFERING FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION.
16 PEOPLE INCLUDING 4 MINORS
WERE TRANSPORTED TO A NEARBY
HOSPITALS. THEY WERE ALERT.
FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THOSE PEOPLE
ARE STILL ALIVE.
>> THEY WERE TOO WEAK TO BE
ABLE TO GET THEMSELVES OUT OF
THE SEMI TRUCK.
>> ONCE WE DID WE DO HOPE THAT
THEY’RE ALL GOING TO SURVIVE.
THEY WERE AGAIN SUFFERING FROM
HEAT EXHAUSTION, HEAT STROKE,
THE SAME THINGS THAT ANY OF US
WOULD GET A 4 OUT IN THE
ELEMENTS.
♪
ELEMENTS. ♪ >> AND AUTHORITIES SAY THESE
PEOPLE WOULD HAVE LIKELY DIED
IF THEY HAD NEARBY BUSINESS
OWNER HAD NOT HEARD OF A CRY
FOR HELP AND THEN HE CAME OUT
TO SEE ONE OF THE VICTIMS
OUTSIDE A TRUCK AT THIS POINT.
WE ARE WAITING FOR HOMELAND
SECURITY TO GIVE US ANSWERS AS
TO WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS.
HOW LONG THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE
INSIDE THIS TRUCK AND WHERE
THEY WERE COMING FROM. WE’RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW
THIS STORY AND BRING YOU MORE
WASHINGTON TO TELL YOU WHO IS
HERE HELPING THESE INDIVIDUALS
THAT ARE LIGHT.
>> TONIGHT, COMING UP LATER IN
THE NEWS, BACK TO YOU.
>> PATTY, THANK. YOU KNOW,
THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH REACTION
AS A RESULT OF THIS STORY.
WE KNOW THAT GOVERNOR GREG
ABBOTT TOOK TO TWITTER WHERE
HE BLAMED THE PRESIDENT AND
HIS ADMINISTRATION. ALSO U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE JOAQUIN CASTRO
ALSO TAKING TO TWITTER, CALLING
THE LOSS OF LIFE TRAGEDY.
BUT HE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE
POLITICS SURROUNDING
IMMIGRATION SAYING, QUOTE, WE
MUST END TITLE 42, WHICH IS PUT
DESPERATE, OPPRESSED PEOPLE
IN GRAVE DANGER OF DEATH, END
QUOTE, THE SAD, TRAGIC,
SHOCKING. A LOT OF REACTION
TONIGHT, INCLUDING FOR PEOPLE
WHO LIVE NEAR WHERE ALL THIS
HAPPENED, THE NIGHT TEAM’S
LEIGH WALDMAN ON THE SOUTHSIDE
OF CAN TOGGLE ROAD.
>> YES, THERE ARE RAILROAD
TRACKS THAT RUN RIGHT BY THERE
AS WE HEARD IN PATTY’S LIVE
SHOT. I’M SURE WE’LL HEAR IN
LEE’S AS WELL. LEE JOINS US
LIVE. LEE, I CANNOT IMAGINE
NEIGHBORS TONIGHT THAT LIVE
JUST RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE,
THE TREE LINE FROM THE SCENE.
>> CBP SAID IT RIGHT THERE.
THERE’S A TRAIN PASSING US ON
THE OTHER SIDE OF THOSE TRAIN
TRACKS. ON THE OTHER SIDE, THIS
WOODED AREA IS THE HIDDEN COVE
INDIAN CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE SPOKE TO PEOPLE WHO LIVE
THERE. THEY SAID THE
IMMEDIATELY KNEW SOMETHING WAS
WRONG. THE SECOND THEY HEARD
THOSE HELICOPTERS FLYING
OVERHEAD.
>> I MEAN, THESE PEOPLE COME
TO 7 TELL YOU WANT TO, YOU
KNOW, TO COME INTO WORK.
I MEAN, THAT REALLY DIDN’T DO
NOTHING TO NOBODY. YOU KNOW,
THAT’S MY CONCERN. BUT
HOW DID THEY RELEASE PEOPLE
80’S? AND HE’S THE ONE THAT
SHOCK DISBELIEF AND SADNESS.
THAT’S VERY SAD THAT.
>> THAT THEY HAD TO GO LIKE
THAT. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE JUST
THEY’RE JUST LOOKING FOR A
BETTER LIFE. AND FOR THEM TO
JUST LOSE THEIR LIFE, JUST TO
TRY TO GET OVER HERE AND JUST
TRY TO MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR
THEM AND THEIR KIDS. IT IS IT
SOMETHING SAD BECAUSE THEY’RE
TRYING TO COME OVER HERE FOR A
BETTER LIVING IN THE LINE OF
THE PEOPLE LIVING NEAR KENT ON
A ROAD WHERE DOZENS OF PEOPLE
WERE FOUND DEAD IN AN 18
WHEELER ARE STRUGGLING TO
GRASP. WHY THIS HAPPENED.
RIGHT AS GALLANT AND OMAR
RIVERA BOTH KNEW SOMETHING WAS
HAPPENING WHEN THEY HEARD THE
HELICOPTERS OVERHEAD. WE READ
IT RIGHT NOW AND I HEARD HIM
SAY SOME THINGS GOING ON.
WHAT’S HAPPENING.
>> BUT I DIDN’T I WAS BEHIND
THEIR, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE.
I MEAN, DOES IT FEEL STRANGE IS
YES, BECAUSE THAT’S TOO CLOSE.
IMAGINE A WHAT IF THEY HAD A
MANNEQUIN, A TRAITOR AND A KEEN
EYE ON? WOW, WE HAVE FROM THE
VALLEY AND THIS IS SOMETHING
THAT THAT IS COMMON IS
SOMETHING LIKE CROSSING PEOPLE
AND SEEING PEOPLE CROSSED RIGHT
IN.
>> CHINA JUST FIND A BETTER
LIFE LIKE THAT’S THAT’S
SOMETHING COMING THAT I’VE
SEEN.
>> COVERING OPENING THAT RIGHT
NOW, AS YOU IMAGINE EACH OF
THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE SPOKE WITH
SAID THEY’RE JUST SHOCKED AT
THE SHEER NUMBER OF DEATHS
INVOLVED IN THIS. THEY SAID
THEIR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE
WITH EVERY PERSON THAT WAS
TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THEY’RE
PRAYING THAT THAT DEATH TOLL
DOESN’T RISE IN. OUR PRAYERS
ARE ALSO WITH THEM LIVE ON THE
SOUTHWEST SIDE WE AND KSAT,
12 NEWS.
>> THANK YOU. LEE. FIRST
RESPONDERS SAID THE VICTIMS
HAD HEAT RELATED INJURIES AFTER
THEY WERE FOUND IN THE BACK OF
THAT 18 WHEELER TO NEVER GOING
TO BRING IN METEOROLOGIST ADAM CASKEY. ADAM. SO AGAIN, YOU
KNOW, WE DON’T KNOW HOW LONG
THOSE PEOPLE WERE INSIDE OF
THAT BIG RIG, BUT
>> WE DO KNOW IT WAS HOT TODAY.
VERY HOT. IN FACT, WE GOT UP
TO THE TRIPLE DIGITS. YEAH,
WE RIGHT AROUND 02:00PM.
WE HAD 101 DEGREES FOR THE HIGH
TEMPERATURE. NOW THEY’RE AFTER
THE TEMPERATURE ACTUALLY FELL
OFF PRETTY ABRUPTLY IN QUICKLY
BECAUSE OF THE STORMS OFF TO
THE NORTH, PUSHING AN OUTFLOW
BOUNDARY THROUGH AND THEN SOME.
>> AREAS OF RAIN. BUT WE DID
MAKE IT 201 WITH A LOT OF
SUNSHINE BEATING DOWN ON THAT
TRUCK EARLIER TODAY. NOW WE
ONLY HAVE THIS KIND OF DATA FOR
PASSENGER VEHICLES, BUT EVEN
AT 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE AFTER
30 MINUTES INSIDE YOUR TYPICAL
VEHICLE, IT COULD GET UP TO
104 AFTER 60 MINUTES. THE
INTERIOR TEMPERATURE WOULD BE
ABOUT 133 DEGREES. THAT’S JUST
WITH 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND
SOME SUNSHINE. YOUR TYPICAL
PASSENGER VEHICLE. BY THE WAY,
WE DO HAVE AREAS OF RAIN WERE
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THESE AND
HOW MUCH RAIN FELL AND WHERE
IF YOU DIDN’T SEE IT TODAY,
YOU DO HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY IF YOU DIDN’T SEE IT TODAY,
YOU DO HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AND THE TIME OUT. YOUR BEST ODDS COMING UP IN JUST A BIT.
>> ADAM, THANK YOU. OF COURSE,
THIS IS A STORY THAT WE’RE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO WATCH ON
THE KSAT SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
ALSO ON KSAT DOT COM, DOZENS
OF PEOPLE FOUND DEAD IN A BIG
RIG TONIGHT. WE’RE ASKING COOL.
THOSE PEOPLE ARE HOW ALL OF
THIS HAPPENED. YOU CAN GET