Published 14:29 IST, October 31st 2019
Belgium: 12 migrants found alive in a refrigerated truck in Brussels
Just days after 39 dead bodies were found in a truck in Essex, UK, police in Brussels found 12 migrants, alive in a refrigerated truck carrying fruits
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Just days after 39 dead bodies were found in a truck in the UK, Belgium found 12 migrants alive in a refrigerated truck in Belgium that was transporting fruits and vegetables. Of the migrants, 11 were Syrians and 1 was Sudanese. While talking to an international media outlet, a representative of the police stated that the truck was found on a road that connected Antwerp and the capital city of Brussels. She further added that all the migrants were in good health and had been taken to the immigration office in Antwerp.
Stowaways in the back of the truck
According to reports, the driver called up the police after he thought he might be carrying stowaways in the back of his truck. He was asked to stop at a highway parking area. Also, an investigation is underway in order to understand as to how did the migrants board the truck and whether they were planning on going to Britain or not.
39 migrants found dead in a truck in Essex
This incident comes after 39 migrants were found dead in a refrigerated truck in the United Kingdom after crossing from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. The police of Essex found 39 bodies in a lorry container parked at the Waterglade Industrial Park in the southeast part of England. The police then launched a multiple murder investigation and had arrested the driver in connection to the case. According to the police, 1 teenager and the other 38 people were declared dead at the scene and they further added that they will now work on identifying the bodies through the coroner's process.
An attempt to cross over to the English shores
Migrants have usually been found to cross over to the English shores in refrigerated trucks to cross over borders because the build of the trucks made it difficult for the sniffer dogs and heat scanners to detect stowaways at border checkpoints. The incidents in Brussels and England coming to light have become a stark reminder to the public of criminals who profit from carrying out large scale human trafficking.
These recent incidents recall the case in which 58 Chinese migrants lost their lives after suffocating in a truck in Dover, England, in the year 2000 after a months-long journey from China's southern Fujian province. The migrants were found stowed away with crates of tomatoes after a ferry service from Zeebrugge.
(With inputs from agencies)
12:31 IST, October 31st 2019