Man Dies As 35 Found In Container

A man has died after 35 people - including children - were found in a shipping container at Tilbury Docks in Essex.

The survivors, suffering from severe dehydration and hypothermia, are being treated at nearby hospitals.

The discovery was made on Saturday when the ship, which had arrived from Zeebrugge, Belgium, was being unloaded.


Essex Police has launched an investigation and officers are being assisted by their Belgian counterparts.

It is not known where the container, one of 50 aboard the P&O vessel, originated.

The East of England Ambulance service, which was called to the docks at 06:37 BST, sent seven ambulances, two rapid response cars, two doctors and a hazardous area response team to the scene
 here is a police presence at Basildon Hospital, part of which has been taped off. Eighteen people are being treated there.

On its website, the hospital said that its accident and emergency department was "responding to a major incident".

Seven patients were taken to Southend Hospital while nine were taken to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.

Their nationalities are not yet known.

'Noise from container'
 
The ship involved was a P&O freighter called the Norstream. The container was loaded on to it at about 21:30 BST on Friday at Zeebrugge.

A P&O spokeswoman said the discovery was made when "noise from the container made it apparent there were people inside."

Belgian police are assisting Essex Police with their investigation and examining CCTV footage as part of their enquiries.

Public Health England said it was not currently involved and had not been notified of there being any Ebola risk.

A spokeswoman for the port declined to comment on the incident as it "was a matter for the police and Border Force".