All that's known so far.
The discovery of 39 people dead in the trailer of a lorry has sparked the largest murder case in Essex Police history and sent shock waves around the globe.
A lot of speculation and mystery still surrounds the tragic discovery, here is all we know so far:
Sunday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Paramedics discovered the bodies of 39 people in a truck container at an industrial park outside London at 1:40am on Wednesday morning. All victims were later revealed to be Chinese nationals.
- A road haulage expert said the lorry container appeared to be a refrigerated unit, with temperatures inside able to drop as low as -25C.
I’m appalled by this tragic incident in Essex. I am receiving regular updates and the Home Office will work closely with Essex Police as we establish exactly what has happened. My thoughts are with all those who lost their lives & their loved ones.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) October 23, 2019
Thursday:
Police in Northern Ireland search three properties near Portadown in Co Armagh in connection with the arrest.
In Belgium, the Chinese embassy "demanded the Belgian police conduct a comprehensive investigation."
- Earlier in the day, China's embassy in the UK said it was sending personnel to the scene of the investigation "to verify relevant information."
- A candle lit vigil takes place in Belfast in honour of the victims.
Friday:
Postmortems begin on 11 of the victims.
- Two more people have been arrested over the deaths.
The 38-year-old man and 38-year-old woman from Warrington have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of 39 counts of manslaughter.
