Illegal immigrants found crammed in shipping container included 13 children
THE illegal immigrants found crammed in a shipping container in Tilbury Docks, Essex included 13 children as young as one.
As a "homicide investigation" into the death of a stowaway found in a shipping container with 34 other men, women and children continues Essex Police described the group as possible "victims of human trafficking".
Police also confirmed that those in the container were of the Sikh faith from Afghanistan.
"We now believe they are from Afghanistan and are of the Sikh faith.
"We have had a good deal of help from partners within the local Sikh community in Tilbury to ensure that these poor people, who would have been through a horrific ordeal, are supported in terms of their religious and clothing needs.
"The Red Cross have provided food and welfare help for the people overnight and we are grateful for their support," Superintendent Trevor Roe said.
The illegal immigrants were discovered on Saturday morning when staff heard "screaming and banging" from inside the container, which had arrived from Zeebrugge, Belgium and was being unloaded at around 6.30am.
They spent the night in hospital and are said to be recovering "fairly quickly in most cases" after they were treated with severe dehydration and hypothermia in three local hospitals.We now believe they are from Afghanistan and are of the Sikh faith
Chief Inspector Peter De Waele from the Belgian police said: "The Belgian civil police is checking all the images and my colleagues are very, very hopeful that we find the truck who put the container in Zeebrugge.
"I think it is very, very important that we have the identification of that truck and also of the driver."
The port has re-opened for business as usual after all the containers on board the ship were searched but no further people were found.
Today police ruled out speculation that the illegal immigrants had been overcome by fumes from chemicals used to clean empty containers but a post-mortem was being carried out by a Home Office pathologist on the dead man to establish how he died.
Meanwhile the containers are being treated as a crime scene and are currently being examined by forensic teams.
A casualty bureau has been set and people in the UK should dial 0800 0560944. Police say that so far they have received more than a dozen calls.