Image of Pham Thi Tra My, suspected victim in Essex lorry deaths, courtesy of family.
Efforts to identify the 39 bodies found in a truck in Essex are focusing on the Vietnamese community, according to UK police.
Police officers are expanding their investigation, not ruling out the possibility of a “larger conspiracy” behind this tragedy. Essex Police stated they have received “a significant number of calls” from Vietnamese people since the horrific incident occurred on Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Constable Pasmore, who leads the victim identification team, emphasized that he remains “open-minded” about the nationalities of the victims. He stated, “We know that borders are tightly controlled and very complex, particularly for those who are migrants or seeking asylum.”
Pasmore warned about the increasing recklessness of criminals targeting vulnerable individuals and urged anyone fearing a loved one might be a victim to contact the police with information.
Vietnamese Nationals Suspected in Essex Truck Tragedy?
At least six of the 39 bodies discovered in the truck container in Essex may be Vietnamese nationals. The BBC reported that six Vietnamese families are deeply concerned that their relatives may be among the unfortunate victims.
Among these heartbreaking cases is Pham Thi Tra My, 26, who sent her family a final text message on Tuesday night saying “I can’t breathe.” UK police have arrested a fourth man at Stansted Airport on suspicion of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. Two others are also in custody on similar charges, and the truck driver remains detained for questioning on suspicion of murder.
Tra My’s brother, Pham Ngoc Tuan, revealed that the family had paid part of the £30,000 brokerage fee to a human trafficking ring to get his sister to the UK. The last message the family received from her was at 10:30 PM UK time on Tuesday, two hours before the truck from Zeebrugge, Belgium, arrived at the UK port of Purfleet. Notably, the traffickers have refunded money to some families, raising further suspicions about the fate of those on the truck.
Another case is Nguyen Dinh Luong, 20, whose family also expressed deep concern that he might be among the 39 victims.
Screenshot of Pham Thi Tra My's last text message to family, expressing difficulty breathing in lorry.
Tra My’s brother told the BBC, “My sister has been missing since October 23rd, on her way from Vietnam to the UK, and we have not been able to contact her. We fear that my sister may be on that truck.” He urgently pleaded, “We are asking the UK police to help investigate so that my sister can come home.”
According to Tuan, Tra My’s journey to the UK began on October 3rd. She asked her family not to contact her because “the organizers” did not allow her to receive phone calls. “She flew to China and stayed there for a few days, then went to France. She called us every time she reached a new location. Her first attempt to cross the border into the UK was on October 19th, but she was arrested and had to return. I don’t know which port it was,” her brother recounted, choked with emotion.
Two other families have also contacted the BBC, expressing concern for their relatives: a 26-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman. The 19-year-old girl’s brother said his sister called home at 7:20 AM local time on Tuesday from Belgium (6:20 AM UK time), informing them that she was preparing to board a container and had to turn off her phone to avoid detection.
Vietnamese Government Response to the Essex Truck Tragedy
On the afternoon of October 26th, the Government Portal reported that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc had requested the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People’s Committees of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces to “clarify the case” related to information that there might be Vietnamese people among the 39 fatalities in the container in the UK.
The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK affirmed that it is working closely with UK police and the UK National Crime Agency. The Ambassador and several embassy staff members arrived at the scene on the morning of October 26th. Essex Police stated they had met with the Vietnamese Ambassador, who pledged to support the victim identification process in this truck tragedy.
Video footage of the scene where 39 bodies were found in a truck at an industrial park in Essex, UK, showing the scale and severity of the incident.
Photo of lorry driver Mo Robinson.
Vietnamese Community in the UK Anxious About Essex Truck Tragedy
While initial media and police reports suggested the victims were Chinese nationals, the Vietnamese community in the UK is experiencing days of fear that there may be Vietnamese individuals involved in this tragic event. Many have reported losing contact with loved ones in recent days who were in Europe and intended to enter the UK.
Some suggest that traveling from Belgium or France to the UK by hiding in trucks in large groups is a route often chosen by Vietnamese migrants. Three homes in Northern Ireland have been searched, and the National Crime Agency is coordinating investigations to determine if “organized crime groups” are involved in the incident.
Police believe the tractor unit of the truck entered the UK via Holyhead in north Wales on Sunday, traveling from Dublin. The trailer, the refrigerated container holding the 39 victims, arrived at Purfleet on the River Thames from Zeebrugge, Belgium, at 0:30 AM on Wednesday, local time. The truck and trailer left the port of Purfleet shortly after at 1:05 AM the same day. Paramedics discovered the bodies in the container at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays about 30 minutes later, just after 1:30 AM.
Dr. Richard Shepherd, one of the UK’s leading forensic pathologists, stated that the post-mortem examination of the 39 victims will be a “very slow, methodical process.” He explained, “It’s meticulous testing, starting with external examination. What are they wearing? Are they wearing any jewelry that might identify them? Are they carrying any documents? Are there any passports?”
Dr. Shepherd added that the pathology work will also look for clues about how the victims entered the refrigerated container. “Were these people mistreated? Were they sexually assaulted? Were they beaten, forced to get in?”
People at candlelit vigil for 39 lorry victims outside UK Home Office.
Global Trailer Rentals Ltd confirmed to RTE News that they own the trailer and have leased it since October 15th. The company stated they have provided details to Essex Police about the person and company they leased the trailer to.
