13 children were among the 35 immigrants rescued from a shipping container yesterday, at the Port of Tilbury in England.
Banging and screaming led to the discovery of the 35 individuals. Of the group were adults between the ages of 18 and 72, and children between the ages of one and 12. One man was found dead in the container, and was believed to have been in his 40s, reported the Daily Mail.
The immigrants were identified as Sikhs from Afghanistan. However, the container arrived from Belgium, and the people are believed to be victims of human trafficking.
According to BBC News, the group was provided food by the Red Cross and stayed in the terminal buildings at Tilbury Docks. Those who suffered from dehydration and hypothermia were taken to the hospital to be treated.
Tony Smith, former head of the UK Border Force, believed those inside the container were victims of human trafficking by international organized criminals.
“They're being exploited because the prize is a passage to the West - that's what they want, they want to migrate to the UK or to Europe but they're being exploited by criminal gangs who are probably taking their entire life savings away on the promise of a passage to the West,” Smith said.
An autopsy was being conducted on the man to determine his cause of death.