London, Oct 24 :
The 39 people found dead in a refrigerated truck trailer in Britain were Chinese nationals, according to reports by British media. The victims were discovered in a container on the back of a truck in Grays, east of London, on Wednesday, shortly after arriving by ferry from Belgium, were reportedly immigrants.
The local Essex Police force, which is working with immigration officials, said their initial priority was to try to identify the victims, thought to be 38 adults and one teenager. Searches in County Armagh on Wednesday night led to the arrest of the driver, named as 25-year-old Mo Robinson, from Portadown, who is currently being questioned for murder. Police officers were called after ambulance staff discovered the truck. The truck and trailer left the port at Purfleet shortly after 1.05 am. It was moved on Wednesday to a more secure location at the nearby Tilbury docks so the bodies could be removed.
Essex Police believe that the truck entered the UK from Belgium. It is not yet clear when the victims were placed in the container.
Essex Police and the Chinese embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2000, the bodies of 58 clandestine Chinese immigrants were discovered in a Dutch truck at the southeastern English port of Dover. Two people survived.
