39 dead in truck in UK were Chinese national

London, Oct 24: The 39 people found dead in a truck in Britain were Chinese nationals, several British media outlets reported on Thursday, citing sources. The victims were discovered in a container on the back of a truck in Grays, east of London, on Wednesday, shortly after arriving by ferry from Belgium.

"This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives," Essex Police chief superintendent Andrew Mariner said in a statement. "Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened."

The police said they were alerted by the ambulance service shortly before 1:40am (0040 GMT) following the discovery of a truck container with people inside at the Waterglade Industrial Park. "We are in the process of identifying the victims.

However I anticipate that this could be a lengthy process," said Mariner. "We believe the lorry is from Bulgaria," said Mariner. He said it was thought the truck entered Britain on Saturday at Holyhead on the northwest tip of Wales -- one of the main ports for ferries from Ireland. "We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue."