BBC helps to free suspected migrants stuck in refrigerated lorry in France

Six suspected migrants have been rescued from the back of a lorry in France, after the BBC helped track them down and alert the police, reports BBC.

The four Vietnamese women and two Iraqi women were trapped inside, panicking and struggling to breathe. One of them spoke to the BBC from inside the lorry.

The BBC then helped to contact the police, who stopped the truck.

French police have arrested the driver and now opened an investigation into a suspected illegal immigration ring.

At around midday on Wednesday, my phone screen lit up. It was a message that read: "There are some people who crossed the border from France to England in a refrigerated van."

Before I could finish reading the message, a call came in.

"Are you in Europe? Please help, it's urgent," a panicked voice rang out.

I felt cold all over. The tragic story of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead after suffocating in a lorry trailer back in 2019 in Essex was still fresh in my mind.