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A San Antonio Fire Department official said they found “stacks of bodies” and no signs of water in the truck, which was discovered next to railroad tracks in the city’s southern outskirts, close to Interstate 35 which runs to the Mexican border.
Sixteen other people, including four children, were found alive inside the trailer, but were rushed to nearby hospitals for heat stroke and exhaustion.
The victims’ causes of death have not yet been confirmed, though extreme heat was the suggested cause.
No children were among the dead, according to officials.
Texas has been experiencing a near-record heat wave, while temperatures in San Antonio, which is about 160 miles from the Mexican border, swelled to a high of 103F on Monday with high humidity.
“The patients that we saw were hot to the touch. They were suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion,” fire chief Charles Hood said in a press briefing.
“[There were] no signs of water in the vehicle. It was a refrigerated trailer, but there was no visible working AC unit on that rig.”
Police Chief William McManus said three individuals were taken into custody, but that it had not been established whether they were “absolutely connected to this or not.”
The nationalities of the victims have not yet been confirmed, but it is thought they are likely to have been Mexican immigrants attempting to cross illegally into the U.S.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard dispatched Consul General Ruben Minutti to the scene yesterday evening, while the Mexican consulate in San Antonio said it would provide “all the support” to the families of Mexican citizens if they are among the dead.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said that its Homeland Security Investigations division was investigating “an alleged human smuggling event” in coordination with local police.
The truck was found abandoned by auto salvage yards and railroad tracks around 6pm yesterday by an individual who worked nearby.
Chief McManus said the individual “heard a cry for help and came out to investigate”, before finding the trailer’s doors partially opened upon arrival and discovering dozens of bodies.
McManus said he could not confirm whether all the victims had remained in the trailer and said searches to find any survivors that may have escaped were ongoing.
“We had our canines out there going through the woods and we may have to do that again tomorrow in the light of day,” he said.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the 46 who died had “families who were likely trying to find a better life”.
“The plight of migrants seeking refuge is always a humanitarian crisis,” said Nirenberg.
“But tonight we are dealing with a horrific human tragedy.”
Locals said that the location where the truck was found was a known drop-off point for migrants, according to The New York Times.
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