UK Police investigating the case of 35 Afghan migrants, found trapped inside a shipping container at the Port of Tilbury, say the container was delivered to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, its point of departure to the UK, by a truck.

The stowaways were discovered in the container by port workers when they heard shouting and banging from inside. It contained men, women and children, and one of the men was found dead when the container was opened.

Belgian Police believe the container seals were intact, with the people already inside, when the container arrived at the port of Zeebrugge.

Investigators have examined CCTV images looking for the truck that delivered the container. The container was loaded aboard the P&O (freight) Ferry Norstream, which operates between Zeebrugge and Tilbury.

On Sunday, 30 of the 34 survivors had been released from hospital and were kept in detention pending further investigation.

Essex Police said it was believed the stowaways were Sikh from Afghanistan. Sikhs make up a very small minority in Afghanistan’s population of around 31 million people.