Nine people died in a human trafficking truck.

At least nine people died and 30 others required hospitalization after being crammed into a truck found in a parking lot in San Antonio, Texas.

The truck was found in Texas. Photo: Reuters

Police have determined this to be a human trafficking case. San Antonio is a city located about a two-hour drive from the Mexican border.

Authorities said 17 of those hospitalized were in critical condition due to heatstroke and dehydration. Of the 39 people found, at least two were children. It is unclear how many other migrants have fled.

CNN quoted City Police Chief William McManus as saying that all the deceased were male. Their identities cannot be determined until their families confirm their deaths.

According to Officer McManus, they received a call from an employee at a nearby supermarket reporting a suspicious truck in the parking lot. “Someone in the truck had come up and asked for water,” McManus said. Police immediately arrived and found the victims.

"We are witnessing a crime of human trafficking," McManus said, describing the incident as a "horrific tragedy."

It happens frequently.

US police have arrested the driver, James Mathew Bradley Jr., 60, from Florida. He was charged on July 24th, local time.

Additionally, they also reported the incident to officials from the Federal Customs and Immigration Service.

Charles Hood, the head of the local fire department, recounted how the truck was scorching hot under the sun because the air conditioning system inside wasn't working. Under those conditions, the temperature inside the vehicle could reach 65°C.

"If the truck had stayed there overnight, they would all have certainly died," said Mr. Hood.

Police officer McManus said that incidents like these "happen all the time" despite efforts by immigration agencies and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

However, acting director of the Customs and Immigration agency Thomas Homan asserted that the latest incident was "a reminder of why we must pursue, apprehend, and punish human trafficking networks."

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper