HOUSTON, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Nine immigrants have died after they were trapped inside a tractor-trailer at a Walmart parking lot at southern Texas City of San Antonio, officials confirmed Sunday afternoon.
According to Homeland Security, one more person had died, putting the death toll at nine and all the victims so far are adult males. Several people are still in critical condition at local hospitals.
Some media reported earlier two more people had died in hospital. But Homeland Security said the earlier report was the result of hospital error.
Eight people were found dead in a trailer at the Walmart parking area early Sunday morning. About 30 more people were found inside the truck and transferred to area hospitals for treatment.
Police did not know the victims' country of origin, destination, or ages of the deceased or injured.
San Antonio is a U.S. city close to border area with Mexico. Border Patrol agents have reported an increase in smuggling attempts in tractor-trailers in recent weeks, starting with the discovery of 44 people from Mexico and Guatemala discovered after police stopped an 18-wheeler on June 19 near one of the city's international bridges.
On July 7, agents found 72 people from Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and El Salvador inside a locked trailer in the same part of town. The next day, they found 33 people from Mexico and Guatemala inside a trailer stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint. In another incident last week, border patrol agents found 16 people inside a locked trailer.
