LONDON — The police in eastern England have opened a murder investigation after the bodies of 39 people were found in a truck in an industrial park in the early hours of Wednesday.

The bodies were discovered in a vehicle at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, in Essex, around 25 miles east of London on the River Thames, the Essex Police said in a statement.

“This is a tragic incident where a large number of people have lost their lives,” Chief Superintendent Andrew Mariner of the Essex Police said. “Our enquiries are ongoing to establish what has happened.”

The emergency services were called to the site shortly before 1:40 a.m., but all 39 people were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, a 25-year-old-man from Northern Ireland, has been arrested on suspicion of murder. According to the police, one teenager is among the dead, but determining the victims’ identity will be a lengthy process.

The police believe the truck, which is from Bulgaria, entered Britain at Holyhead port in Wales on Saturday, more than 300 miles northwest of where it was discovered on Wednesday.

Vehicles entering Holyhead typically come from Ireland, but what route the truck took remains unclear, as does the nationality of those inside.

“We have arrested the lorry driver in connection with the incident who remains in police custody as our enquiries continue,” Mr. Mariner said.

Megan Specia is a story editor on the International Desk in London, specializing in digital storytelling and breaking news. She has been with The Times since 2016. @meganspecia

Source: Read Full Article