39 bodies found in truck container in UK

The bodies of 39 people have been found in a lorry container in Essex.

Police were called by the ambulance service shortly before 01:40 BST after the discovery at Waterglade Industrial Park in Eastern Avenue, Grays.

The lorry driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

Essex Police said the vehicle travelled from Bulgaria and entered the UK via Holyhead, Anglesey, on Saturday.

Early indications are that 38 adults and one teenager have died, the force said. There were no survivors.

Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills said identifying the victims "remains our number one priority".

She appealed for anyone with information about the route the lorry may have taken, or anyone who had seen the vehicle or knew about its journey, to get in touch.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "appalled by this tragic incident".

He said: "I am receiving regular updates and the Home Office will work closely with Essex Police as we establish exactly what has happened. My thoughts are with all those who lost their lives and their loved ones."

In June 2000, 58 Chinese immigrants were found suffocated to death in the back of a lorry in Dover. There were two survivors.

Agencies
 

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