The combination of heat and humidity would have quickly created life-threatening conditions inside an air-conditioned semi where dozens of immigrants were found dead in Texas, an expert said.
Although the length of time people were inside the trailer is unknown, it probably would have taken only an hour or less for temperatures to rise to 125 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, said Jennifer Vanos, associate professor of climate and health at the Arizona State University that has studied child vehicle deaths.
The death toll rose to 53 on Wednesday, two days after the tractor-trailer truck carrying 67 people was found abandoned outside San Antonio, the deadliest human smuggling case on the US border. United States with Mexico.
WHY DID THE SITUATION BECOME SO DANGEROUS?
The tractor-trailer was likely already hot — perhaps 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 to 43 degrees Celsius) — when people got in because outdoor heat and humidity levels were already high, Vanos said.
Once inside, their bodies would have generated even more heat and humidity, and since there was no air circulation, their sweat could not evaporate so their bodies would cool down and they would have quickly dehydrated. The immigrants did not carry water.
“All of those things together are going to cause faster heat death,” he added.
A vehicle left in the sun can take less than an hour to heat up to 51.6 degrees Celsius (125 F) from an air-conditioned temperature, in part because the windows create a greenhouse effect, Vanos said. Although the truck’s bed had no windows, the temperature inside could have reached 125 to 130 F (51.6 to 54.4 degrees Celsius) quite quickly due to the number of people as the trailer would have continued on. absorbing heat from the sun, he said.
It is unknown when and where the migrants got on the truck, but Homeland Security investigators believe they did so in or near Laredo, on U.S. soil, about two hours from San Antonio, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar told reporters Wednesday. The Associated Press. It is unknown how long the vehicle remained stationary in San Antonio.
HOW LONG COULD THEY HAVE SURVIVED?
That depends on their health and other factors, including age, medications they were taking and their clothing, Vanos said.
Heat stroke can occur when body temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (104 F), and organs can begin to fail when the body’s core temperature reaches a critical high of 41.6 to 42.2 degrees Celsius (107 and 108 F), added Vanos. However, cardiovascular failure can occur at a lower body temperature if someone has a heart or cardiovascular condition.
Several people could also have died of kidney failure, especially if they had kidney disease, because lack of water led to dehydration, he said.
Some of the more than 12 people taken to hospitals had injuries such as brain damage and internal bleeding, according to Rubén Minutti, the Mexican consul general in San Antonio. Several died in hospital. Vanos said that indicates that his body was unable to regulate its temperature and the organs were already failing.
