Three immigrants found dead in truck in Italy

VENICE, Italy, July 14 (Reuters) The bodies of three men apparently trying to enter western Europe illegally were found in a refrigerated truck near Venice today, police said.

A fourth man also hidden in the truck, which had arrived in Italy by ferry from Greece and was bound for Germany, was taken to hospital and was in critical condition.

The bodies and survivor were discovered when the driver heard noises from inside the truck and stopped at a filling station near Venice to investigate, police said. The men were believed to be of Wrst Asian origin, they added.

The cause of death of the three men but was not yet known but was presumed to be hypothermia or lack of oxygen.

Reuters CS VV1853