Northern Ireland Man Detained After 39 Found Dead In Truck Trailer In Essex

A murder investigation has been launched after the discovery of 39 dead bodies in a lorry container in Essex in the early hours of Wednesday morning. 

Early indications suggest 38 of the deceased are adults and one is a teenager. 

A 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland has been arrested on suspicion of murder. 

A cordon has been put in place and access to and from the Waterglade Industrial Park, where the lorry container was found remains closed.

Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner said: “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 19 October and we are working closely with our partners to investigate.