As the world mourns an actor's death, the media are out in force at the New York City apartment building where Heath Ledger's body was found just hours ago.

An X17 photographer tells us the street scene outside the building is "crazy. There are about 10 police cars and a big NYPD truck. There is a heavy flow of foot traffic in and out of the building -- both police officers and journalists."

Our photog tells me word on the street amongst reporters is that Heath was in London over the weekend, shooting "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." He says journalists have been talking about Heath's reported history of drug abuse that supposedly ended a year ago.

more info coming ...