Ministry of Public Security confirms 39 bodies in container in UK are Vietnamese citizens

On the evening of November 7, the Ministry of Public Security issued a press release regarding the case of 39 bodies in a container in the UK. According to the Ministry of Public Security, after a period of coordination, examination, and comparison of personal identification characteristics, by 8:00 p.m. today, the UK law enforcement agency determined that the 39 victims who died in the container, discovered in Essex County, Northeast London, on October 23, 2019, were all Vietnamese.

These 39 citizens have permanent residence in Hai Phong, Hai Duong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, and Thua Thien - Hue.

Also in the press release, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security expressed its deep regret and condolences to the victims' families and hoped that the victims' families would soon overcome this great pain and loss.

British police examine the container at the time of the incident - Photo: REUTERS

Meanwhile, Nghe An has received reports from 24 families about their children "losing contact" since October 23. However, 3 families later withdrew their reports because their children called to report that they were safe. To date, 21 families have lost contact with their children. Of these, 7 are in Dien Chau district, 7 in Yen Thanh, 3 in Vinh city, 2 in Nghi Loc, and 1 in Hung Nguyen and Cua Lo town each.

Nghe An Province Police have initiated a case of "organizing and brokering others to flee abroad or stay abroad illegally" to expand the investigation into the network related to the discovery of 39 bodies in the UK. Many people have been arrested, summoned, and detained.