The deaths of 53 people in Texas highlight the perils of migration

Nearly 4,000 people have died trying to cross America’s border with Mexico since 2014

Local community members Debra Ponce, left, and Angelita Olvera mourn after they placed crosses and candles at the scene where dozens of people were found dead inside a trailer truck in San Antonio, Texas, U.S. June 28, 2022. REUTERS/Go Nakamura TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Jun 30th 2022|New York

It was a gruesome discovery: the bodies of at least 46 people, found abandoned in a lorry in the baking 37°C heat of San Antonio, Texas, on June 27th. Seven more have died since. There was no air conditioning inside; corpses were reportedly dusted in steak seasoning to mask the smell. Over a dozen survivors, suffering from heat exhaustion, were rushed to hospital. The tragedy was one of the deadliest incidents in recent decades related to people-smuggling along America’s border with Mexico—among the most lethal land borders in the world.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “A tragedy in Texas”