39 dead bodies found inside truck container in Essex, England; probe on
Soon after the incident, police in the United Kingdom arrested the 25-year-old driver of the lorry, on suspicion of murder.
The Latest: Bulgaria to work with UK on the 39 truck deaths: (AP)
The Bulgarian embassy in London says it will work with the British authorities on the case involving 39 people found dead in a tractor-trailer in Essex, east of London.
The Foreign Ministry says, "at present, it has not yet been confirmed whether the truck has a Bulgarian registration." It also says there is no information yet on the nationalities of the victims in the truck and that "British police have warned that the identification of the bodies will take a long time."
The truck is said to have entered Britain via the Welsh port of Holyhead on Saturday from Ireland. The bodies were found Wednesday in the town of Gray's, east of London.
"Unimaginable Tragedy"
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the death of 39 people whose bodies were found in the back of a truck is an "unimaginable tragedy and truly heartbreaking."
Johnson told lawmakers in the House of Commons that he is receiving regular updates on the case.
Britain's interior minister, Priti Patel, is due to update lawmakers on the tragedy later.
Police say the bodies of 38 adults and a teenager were found early Wednesday in a truck in Gray's, east of London. The vehicle had traveled from Bulgaria to the U.K. by way of Ireland.
Detectives say they have not yet identified the victims.
Deputy police chief Pippa Mills said identifying the victims "could be a lengthy process" and that a key line of inquiry will be how the truck entered Ireland. The truck is said to have entered Britain via the Welsh port of Holyhead on Saturday from Ireland.
"It is an absolute tragedy and a very sad day," Mills said. Mills did not detail how many of the deceased were men or women, but confirmed that one of those who died appeared to be a teenager.
Earlier, at least 39 dead bodies were found by the police in the United Kingdom on Wednesday. The bodies were recovered from a truck container in Essex. According to the BBC, the police had received a call by the ambulance service shortly before 01:40 BST after the discovery of the dead bodies at Waterglade Industrial Park in Eastern Avenue, Grays.
Media reports suggested the deceased included 38 adults and one teenager.
The driver of the truck, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland has meanwhile been arrested on suspicion of murder.
Police said the truck was believed to have come from Bulgaria and to have entered Britain at Holyhead in Wales on Saturday.
“We are in the process of identifying the victims, however, I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process,” Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Initial reports suggest human trafficking, however, the Essex Police is yet to speak to media on this. The official Twitter handle of Essex Police also has no word so far on the developing story.
Meanwhile, reports say a cordon has been put in place and the Waterglade Industrial Park is closed off.
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