58 Bodies Are Found in Truck at English Port

Fifty-eight bodies have been found in the back of a truck in the English port of Dover, police said early today. The dead were believed to be asylum-seekers.

Two people were found alive in the rear of the Dutch-registered vehicle and were taken to a hospital, police in the southern county of Kent said. No information about the condition of the survivors was released, and the nationalities and ages of those found aboard the truck were not immediately known.

Police said the truck arrived on a ferry at Dover, about 70 miles southeast of London on the English Channel, just before midnight Sunday. The discovery was made by customs officers during a search of the truck, which had traveled from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, police said.

Britain received about 71,000 applications for asylum in 1999, and this year has vied with Germany as the top destination in Europe for asylum-seekers.

Dover has been a major entry point for asylum-seekers, many of whom come from Eastern Europe, especially Albania.

In recent months, Britain has taken a tougher approach on immigration issues amid fears that the country may be a soft touch for refugees. Among the new initiatives are harsh fines for anyone caught sneaking in refugees and the creation of detention centers to hold some applicants while their cases are being considered.