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Dozens of stowaways found on UK-bound ferry, reports say Dozens of migrants found in refrigerated container on ferry
(32 minutes later)
Some of 26 people reportedly found in refrigerated container travelling from the Netherlands Twenty-five people reportedly found on ship travelling from Netherlands to UK
Dutch authorities have discovered 26 stowaways on a ferry bound for England, with reports suggesting some were found inside a refrigerated container. Dutch authorities have discovered 25 migrants stowed away inside a refrigerated container on a ferry bound for England.
According to a statement published on a local government website, all those onboard were found alive, with one of the stowaways thought to be a child. According to a statement published on a local government website, all those found onboard were alive, with one of them thought to be a child.
The ferry, Britannia Seaways, run by DFDS Seaways, had left the port in Vlaardingen, but returned immediately after discovering the people on board. The ferry, Britannia Seaways, run by DFDS Seaways, had left the port in Vlaardingen bound for Felixtowe, Suffolk, but returned immediately after discovering the people on board.
Around 20 ambulances attended the scene, where some of the stowaways were suffering from hypothermia, the Dutch news organisation AD reported. The ship was met by about 20 ambulances, and an unknown number of the people were taken to hospital to be checked for hypothermia.
According to AD, police had to search the ferry for more than an hour to locate the correct container. A DFDS spokesperson said the crew found the people hiding inside a refrigerated container and alerted the police, who arrived on the boat while it was still at sea.
The incident follows the discovery of 39 bodies in a lorry in Essex last month. All 39 people on board who died were Vietnamese nationals, who had travelled inside a refrigerated container from Zeebrugge in Belgium. The spokesperson said the container was normally locked and sealed, but the stowaways had made a hole in the trailer door.
Asked about the security of the containers, the spokesperson told the Guardian security was “very tight” but the incident would be reviewed.
“We have surveillance and regular checks of the trailers. It’s a mystery to us. We have good cooperation with authorities at all of our ports, but we have to realise that sometimes migrants do succeed in getting through,” they said.
According to the Dutch newspaper AD, police had to search the ferry for more than an hour to find the correct container.
The incident follows the discovery of 39 bodies in a lorry in Essex last month. All of the 39 people who died were Vietnamese nationals, who had travelled inside a refrigerated container from Zeebrugge in Belgium.