London: British police expanded an investigation into one of the country’s deadliest cases of human smuggling after 39 people were found dead in a refrigerated container truck near an English port.
Essex police said the victims were believed to be from China, though its embassy said their nationalities were still being verified.
The Essex Police said 31 men and eight women were found dead in the truck early Wednesday at an industrial park in Grays, a town 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of London.
A magistrate gave detectives another 24 hours to question the driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. However, he has not been charged, and police have not released his name.
Police in Northern Ireland have searched three properties there as detectives sought to piece together how the truck’s cab, its container and the victims came together on such a deadly journey.
Pippa Mills, deputy chief of Essex Police, said the process of conducting post-mortem examinations and identifying the victims would be ‘lengthy and complex’.
“This is an incredibly sensitive and high-profile investigation, and we are working swiftly to gather as full a picture as possible as to how these people lost their lives,” she said.
Essex police said the victims were believed to be from China. Meanwhile Chinese Consul General Tong Xuejun, who headed a team that traveled to the site, urged police to find out the truth as soon as possible. He spoke to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV after meeting with authorities.
“British police said they were verifying the identity of the victims and could not confirm whether they were Chinese,” Tong Xuejun said. “We will urge the British police to further find out the truth. We will keep the media informed… of the latest progress of the incident,” Tong added.
Global Trailer Rentals Ltd told Ireland’s national broadcaster RTE the trailer it owns was leased October 15 in County Monaghan, in Ireland, at a rate of 275 euros ($299) per week. The Dublin-based company said it will make the data from its tracking system available to investigators.
AP