UK: Essex police make statement after 39 bodies found in lorry

SOT, Pippa Mills, Deputy Chief Constable: "Shortly before 1:40am today, we received reports that a number of people had been found inside a lorry's container at the Waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in Grays. We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria and came into the UK through Holyhead on October 19. Emergency services attended, but sadly all 39 people inside the container had died. Early indications suggest that one of these people was a teenage. The rest are believed to be adults. A murder investigation was launched and the lorry driver, a 25-year-old man from Northern Ireland, was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody. At this stage we have not identified where the victims are from or their identities and we anticipated this could be a lengthy process. I would like to thank the local community and in particular those who have been directly affected by the police cordon at the industrial site. Thank you for your co-operation and I appreciate the impact the impact the road closure will have on businesses within the cordon. I am unable to say at this stage how long the cordon will be in place, but please let me reassure you that my officers and partners will be everything we can to release the scene as soon as possible. This is an absolute tragedy and very sad for Essex police and the local community. We will continue to work alongside many other partner agencies to find out what led to these deaths. I would like to appeal for anyone who has any information to contact my officers at the Major Investigation Team on 101 or by visiting our Essex police website. We will update all of our channels as we're able to, but please appreciate that we are at the early stages of what is likely to be a lengthy investigation."
SCRIPT
Essex police Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills read a statement following the discovery of 39 bodies in a lorry container on Wednesday.
All 39 people died, according to the statement. Early indications are that one was a teenager and the rest were adults.
The murder suspect, a 25-year-old male from Northern Ireland, remains in custody.
Police were called to Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, by the ambulance service in the early hours of the morning. The force said the lorry travelled from Bulgaria and entered the UK via Holyhead in north Wales.
Police are working on identifying the bodies as a "priority" and warned the investigation could be a "lengthy process". Mills appealed for anyone with information to come forward.