Essex lorry deaths: China's embassy urges UK police to 'find out the truth' about 39 bodies discovered in truck
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Paramedics and police found the bodies of 31 men and eight women on Wednesday (October 23) on an industrial estate at Grays in Essex, about 20 miles (30 km) east of London.
The Chinese embassy in London on Thursday urged the local police to find out the truth "as soon as possible" after reports that police had found 39 Chinese nationals dead in a lorry.
They also added that British police have not yet been able to confirm that the 39 people found dead in the back of truck were Chinese nationals, in a statement posted on the embassy's website.
Paramedics and police found the bodies of 31 men and eight women on Wednesday (October 23) on an industrial estate at Grays in Essex, about 20 miles (30 km) east of London.
For years, illegal immigrants have stowed away in trucks while attempting to reach Britain, often from the European mainland. In 2000, 58 Chinese were found dead in a tomato truck at the port of Dover.