UK police seek 2 brothers in container death case

FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2019, file photo, police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurrock, South England. The discovery in England of the bodies of 39 people believed to be from China lays bare some crucial but sometimes overlooked facts about China's development as a rising global power that has elevated hundreds of millions of its citizens to the middle classes. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) (Alastair Grant, Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

LONDON – British police say they are searching for two brothers from Northern Ireland as the investigation widens into the deaths of 39 people who were found in a truck container in southeastern England.

Authorities are searching for 40-year-old Ronan Hughes and his 34-year-old brother Christopher Hughes. Both men, who are from Armagh in Northern Ireland, also have ties to the Republic of Ireland.

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Both are wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking.

Detective Chief Superintendent Stuart Hooper said Tuesday that "finding and speaking to the Hughes brothers is crucial to our investigation.

Maurice Robinson, 25, has been charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.