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‘Stacked bodies’ of 46 people found dead in lorry with survivors ‘hot to the touch’
At least 46 people have died and 16 others have been taken to hospital after they were discovered in the back of a lorry in San Antonio, Texas, just 150 miles from the Mexico
“Teenagers and young adults” were among 46 people who died from extreme heat inside a lorry in Texas – in what appears to be one of the most deadly recent incidents of human smuggling along the US-Mexico border.
San Antonio Fire Department chief Charles Hood said that his crew found “stacks of bodies” inside the trailer.
He added that as well as the 46 dead, another 16 other people were taken to hospital for heat stroke and exhaustion, including four minors.
Survivors were said to be “hot to the touch” and suffering from heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Outdoor temperatures reached 39.4C on Monday, as it is suspected the victims likely died from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Officials also said three people were in custody following the incident.
Texas’s Republican Governor Greg Abbott wasted no time blaming US President Joe Biden for the deaths saying it was a “result of his deadly open border policies”.
The Mexican Foreign Secretary said two of those taken to hospital were from Guatemala. The nationalities of the other victims are not known at this time.
He tweeted: “The trailer had a US number plates supposedly so it can travel without revision. It is very probably owned by dealers.”
A vast number of ambulances, fire engines and other police vehicles are at the scene on Quintana Road.
Police could also be seen searching nearby woods apparently for other people.
The people inside the trailer died of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, with no no air conditioning or water available for them, said San Antonio Fire Department Chief Hood.
“We’re not supposed to open up a truck and see stacks of bodies in there. None of us come to work imagining that,” said the fire chief.
He added the victims included “teenagers and young adults.”
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, said the investigation was now in the hands of the US federal authorities.
Mayor Nirenberg said: “It’s tragic. They had families and were likely trying to find a better life. It’s nothing short of a horrific, human tragedy.”
The number of dead may yet rise with a law enforcement source telling the San Antonio Express-News that “it’s probably close to 100 (people) in the truck,” and adding “about half of that” may be dead.
The bodies have been discovered inside an 18-wheel vehicle close to rail tracks in San Antonio were temperatures reached 40C on Monday.
Footage shows the backdoors of the white trailer open with many emergency vehicles by it and the road closed off to the public.
San Antonio is in the south of Texas, just 150 miles from the Mexican border.
A Catholic Charities official reportedly said they are trying to help the people who have survived.
Archbishop Gustavo tweeted: “There are about 46 migrants dead in San Antonio.
“Our prayers raised up to you O Lord for their souls. Lord have mercy on them. They hoped for a better life. Lord after Uvalde and now this, help us! We need you! So many people suffering. God, God, God.”
Edward Reyna, a security guard at a lumber yard nearby, says he’s not surprised to see the tragedy.
He said he’s lost count of the number of times he’s seen migrants jumping off the train that passes by his work.
Mr Reyna told the BBC: “I thought sooner or later somebody was going to get hurt.
“The cartels that bring them over don’t care about them.”
There have been cases of human smuggling in San Antonio which have had tragic consequences in the past.
Source: www.mirror.co.uk
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Swedru All Blacks back to winning ways, Roshan humble King Faisal
Sekondi Rospak FC made it eight wins in eight successive home games after three second-half goals from John Amoah, Joseph Ntow and Stephen Anthony Kofi. John Amoah opened the scoring in the 55th minute after a barren first half. Joseph Ntow added to the tally in the 56th minute before Stephen Anthony Kofi rounded things up in the 74th minute to give Rospak a 3-0 win over former Premier League side King Faisal.
Elsewhere at Swedru – leaders Swedru All Blacks humbled PAC Academy in an emphatic 2-0 win. Zayat Bubakari scored first for Swedru All Blacks in the 27th minute before Rudolf Junior Nana Kwasi Mensah made it 2-0 in the 34th minute. Swedru All Blacks are top of the table with 36 points – 4 points ahead of second placed Rospak FC.
Meanwhile, Former Premier League side Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs recorded their fourth successive home victory after beaten New Edubiase United 2-1 at the Robert Mensah Park. Enoch Odoom struck first for Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs in the 19th minute but Steven Asante equalized for New Edubiase United before halftime. After the interval, Godfred Eshun scored from distance in the 65th minute to help Cape Coast Mysterious Dwarfs secure all the points.
Here are the results in Zone Two
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Cervical Cancer alert: Avoid sex at early age
The Programmes Manager of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Mary Efua Commeh, has advised young girls to avoid sex at an early age.
This, she explained, will give the cervix the opportunity to mature before they become sexually active.
“You need to delay what we call the first sexual intercourse as much as possible to give the cervix the opportunity to mature before the person becomes sexually active,” she said.
Dr Commeh stated this in an interview with The Spectator in Accra on Tuesday as a part of the Cervical Cancer awareness month.
According to her, cervical cancer was the second leading female cancer in Ghana with a total of about 3,072 cases annually, and out of that, 1,815 deaths are recorded, representing more than 50 per cent.
She indicated that “If young girls are going to be sexually active, then you need to talk to your parents about being vaccinated.”
She explained that vaccinating young girls against human papillomavirus (HPV) has been found to be a very effective way of preventing cervical cancer.
“There are countries that started HPV vaccination years ago and they are not seeing any cervical cancers now because they would have eliminated most of the high-risk HPVs in their women. So if the high-risk HPV is not there, then obviously the results on cervical cancers are going to go down,” she added.
Dr Commmey said the HPV vaccination is recommended for young girls aged nine to 14 years, adding that it had been found to be highly effective, not just for cervical cancers but for other HPV-related cancers, such as anal cancers, cancers of the vagina, genital warts, amongst others.
She further elaborated that the idea is to put up a barrier before the HPV comes in and that once a young female encounters it, she is already protected.
She also mentioned that for cervical cancers, the main cause is called HPV infection, saying generally, all sexually active women acquire HPV at some point in their lives.
However, the Programmes Manager of NCDs at the GHS mentioned that the body has a way of clearing the HPV, explaining that it is a natural mechanism that goes on, unfortunately, there are a few women whose HPV persists.
Moreover, she noted that the numbers for Cervical Cancer tend to be much higher because at times, clients would wait, and try all sorts of medications before they finally report to the health facility saying “we actually lose some women before they get to the hospitals with over 75 per cent of the cases coming in its third and fourth stages.”
Dr Commey, therefore, called for public awareness while ensuring the availability of information for prevention and control.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
