The trailer was found at Waterglade Industrial Park ( Google StreetView )
A murder investigation has been launched after the bodies of 39 people were found in a lorry container in Essex. Police were called to the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays at 1.40am today by paramedics of the bodies in a lorry that is believed to have come from Bulgaria. The victims are thought to be 38 adults and one teenager.
Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner said the lorry driver – a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland – had been arrested on suspicion of murder. He added: “This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives. Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened.
“We are in the process of identifying the victims, however I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process. “We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on Saturday, October 19 October and we are working closely with our partners to investigate.
“We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue. I appreciate this cordon is going to disrupt the activity of local businesses in the area and we will work to ensure that disruption is kept as short as possible.” Lee Andrews, branch manager at a GFS Car Parks at the industrial park, said that he was unable to get into work this morning when he found it cordoned off with “loads of police” in the area.
He told the Standard: “I tried to get into work this morning and our unit was shut off. “It was just cordoned off, boarded right across the road. Loads and loads of police there. “I’m seriously shocked. “It’s heartbreaking. It’s so sad it’s happened.” A business owner in the area told the Standard there were around six police vehicles at the scene and officers in the area.
He said he could not see what they were doing due to a large cordon in place and added he had noticed nothing suspicious in the area in recent days. Paige Wade was driving past the industrial park at 4.15am on the way home from work. She told the PA news agency: “I honestly didn’t see much, I had just finished work while driving up Motherwell Way and all you could see was blue flashing lights, as I was driving past there was police tape to cordon off the start of eastern avenue.
“I knew it was serious because of how many police cars and ambulances were there, but the police had parked their cars across the whole access of the road so you couldn’t see anything. “There’s always lorries around there as they park up there for the night, I couldn’t say whether I did or didn’t see the actual lorry in question.”
Source: The Evening Standard