Dock Workers At Port Hear 35 Stowaways ‘Screaming’ Inside A Shipping Container

Dock workers heard the desperate screams of 35 stowaways in a shipping container in Essex, England Saturday morning. CNN, via Q13 Fox, reports that a major London port had a number of people inside one container who were screaming and banging so someone would hear them.

One of the stowaways — an adult male — was pronounced dead at the scene, Essex police Superintendent Trever Roe confirms.

Police say that many others, including children, have “significant health problems.”

The patients were taken to three area hospitals. Daniel Gore of England Ambulance Service say all of them are “being treated for dehydration and hypothermia.” Gore adds that none of the people seem to have life-threatening conditions.

A homicide investigation is underway for the man who was dead when the 35 stowaways were discovered in the shipping container.

As the report reveals, dock workers made the discovery at Tilbury Docks. The people are from the Indian subcontinent, Roe shares.

The stowaways were inside a shipping container that was aboard a ship owned by P&O Ferries from the Belgian port city of Zeebrugge after about a nine-hour trip. Two trips a day between London and Zeebrugge occur.

Company spokeswoman Natalie Hardy says P&O Ferries doesn’t inspect the contents of the containers it ships. Hardy says that’s the responsibility of the U.K. Border Agency. Roe explains that the 50 containers aboard the ship were thoroughly searched.

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire released the following statement:

“Today’s tragic incident at Tilbury is a reminder of the often devastating human consequences of illegal migration. This incident is now a criminal investigation. Border Force officers are fully engaged with Essex police and the Tilbury port authorities as the necessary steps are taken towards bringing those responsible to justice.”

According to The Independent, the stowaways are believed to be from Afghanistan and had traveled nine days. A U.K. port security source claims that police have information that another shipping container with 12 people needs to be found.

The shipping container that had the stowaways is 40-feet-long and and 8-feet-wide. Although they aren’t airtight, very little ventilation or air supply is provided.

Tilbury Docks handle about two million containers a year, the news source reports. To keep from contracting infectious diseases, decontamination zones were set up around the docks.

Where exactly the journey originated for the 35 stowaways is being investigated. It’s being treated as a criminal investigation linked to human trafficking. Authorities are keeping their eyes open for more illegal immigrants at the docks.

[Image via Port Strategy]