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8 people found dead inside 18-wheeler, dozens taken to hospitals

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (KXAN) – Eight people are dead and 28 others are recovering after police found them in the back of an 18-wheeler parked at a Walmart in San Antonio.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said a Walmart employee called for help when someone from inside the truck approached him asking for a cup of water. Officers responded to the Walmart parking lot at 8353 Interstate Highway 35 South at 12:20 a.m. Sunday and discovered a total of 38 people inside the truck. Officials say at least two of those people are school-aged children.

Eight people were dead, 20 were flown to hospitals in extremely critical condition and eight were taken by ambulance to be treated for dehydration. San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood said the patients were hot to the touch, with heart rates as high as 130 beats per minute.

While reviewing surveillance video, officers noticed several cars driving up to the parked 18-wheeler, picking up people from inside. McManus said the truck is part of a human trafficking crime and that the Department of Homeland Security is involved in the investigation.

Investigators do not know where the truck came from or how long it had been sitting in the parking lot before police arrived. The driver of the truck was taken into custody.

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