At least 46 people have been found dead in an abandoned lorry

(BBC) At least 46 people have been found dead in an abandoned lorry on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas.

It’s dark now and only a few law enforcement vehicles and some police tape cordoning off a dark road make evident that this is the scene of a mass casualty event.

The victims, presumed to be migrants, likely died of heat exhaustion or dehydration.

A fire official said 16 people, including four children, had also been taken to hospital.

The survivors were “hot to the touch” and suffering from heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

San Antonio’s climate is blisteringly hot in the summer months, with temperatures there reaching 39.4C (103F) on Monday.

San Antonio, which is 250km (150 miles) from the US-Mexican border, is a major transit route for people-smugglers.

Human traffickers often use lorries to transport undocumented migrants after meeting them in remote areas once they have managed to cross into the United States.