UK police believe 39 victims of Essex lorry deaths Vietnamese nationals

Essex police said Friday they believe the victims of the lorry container deaths are Vietnamese nationals.

A portrait of 20-year-old Nguyen Dinh Luong, who is feared to be among the 39 people found dead in a truck in Britain, is kept on a prayer altar at his house in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province on October 29, 2019. [Photo: VCG]

According to a statement from Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith, officer in overall charge of the investigation into the deaths of 39 men and women discovered at Grays, Essex on Oct. 23, Essex Police is working to progress the investigation and help identify the victims.

"At this time, we believe the victims are Vietnamese nationals, and we are in contact with the Vietnamese Government. We are in direct contact with a number of families in Vietnam and the UK, and we believe we have identified families for some of the victims whose journey ended in tragedy on our shores," he said.

However, the confirmatory evidence is still being gathered across a number of jurisdictions worldwide. "As a result, we cannot at this time announce the identity of any of the victims. We will continue to co-operate closely with the Vietnamese Government, and others, to identify the victims and offer our support to all those affected by this tragedy," the statement added.

The police continue to appeal to anyone who has information that may assist to identify the victims.