The bodies of 58 immigrants being smuggled into Britain were found in the back of a truck in the Port of Dover, authorities said early today.
Only two people were found alive in the refrigerated vehicle and they were rushed to local hospitals after the gruesome discovery, police said.
The truck arrived in Dover – a major landing point for ferries from France and Belgium – shortly after midnight and inspectors checking the cargo found the corpses.
It was unclear what killed the asylum-seekers or what country they were fleeing. The truck they were in was registered in Holland.
Thousands of illegal immigrants stream into the port every year – and British officials have started cracking down on the human tide in recent months.
Customs officials using sniffer dogs zero in on suspect trucks that make the English Channel crossing.
Inside, they frequently find dozens of men and women – often from Eastern Europe – huddled in the dark corners of cargo containers.
Despite government efforts to deter smugglers, including hefty fines for truck drivers, the illegal immigration has continued.
Britain received some 71,000 applications for asylum from illegal immigrants in 1999. This year, it vied with Germany as the top destination in Europe for illegal immigrants.