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Ferry crew find 25 stowaways in UK-bound refrigerated container | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Dutch authorities have found 25 stowaways in a refrigerated container on a ferry bound for the UK from the Netherlands. | |
They were found at around 19:00 (18:00 GMT), forcing the ship to return to the port of Vlaardingen near Rotterdam. | |
The Danish-registered ferry had been en route to Felixstowe. | The Danish-registered ferry had been en route to Felixstowe. |
The incident comes just weeks after the bodies of 39 people were found in a refrigerated lorry container in Essex in eastern England. | The incident comes just weeks after the bodies of 39 people were found in a refrigerated lorry container in Essex in eastern England. |
The stowaways found on Tuesday received medical attention at the port of Vlaardingen, where police were waiting for the ship's arrival. | |
Two were taken to hospital to receive extra medical care, while the other 23 people were transferred to a police facility after a medical check-up, authorities said. | |
The stowaways, whose nationalities are not yet known, were found in a refrigerated container on a truck aboard the ferry, authorities said. The driver of the truck was arrested and was being questioned over possible involvement, police told the Dutch broadcaster NOS. | |
Police told the broadcast that crew members found the stowaways and alerted authorities after hearing "sounds coming from the cooling container". A search of the ferry involving police dogs was carried out but no-one else was found. | |
Seafarers' charity Stella Maris said it was important to recognise the "hugely stressful" nature of these types of incidents for crew. | |
The bodies found in the Essex container last month were those of Vietnamese nationals who had arrived on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium. | |
Two lorry drivers have since been charged with manslaughter, and several other men have been arrested in connection with the case. | Two lorry drivers have since been charged with manslaughter, and several other men have been arrested in connection with the case. |