Sixteen bodies of the Essex lorry victims arrive at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, on a Vietnam Airlines flight on Wednesday morning. — VNA/VNS Photos Lam Khanh

Sixteen bodies arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on a Vietnam Airlines flight from London to Hanoi, where they were received by officials of their hometowns. Each victim was then transported on an ambulance back to their homes where family members were preparing for their funerals.

The first victims to arrive in Vietnam on Wednesday came from three central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh. The ambulances carrying the victims were expected to reach their hometowns later on the same day.

The other 23 bodies will be repatriated in the coming days in separate groups, though officials are yet to confirm the dates publicly.

Airport personnel transfer the coffins from the plane to the ambulances waiting to take the victims to their hometowns. — VNA/VNS Photo

 
British police on October 23 discovered the bodies of 31 men and 8 women in the trailer of an articulated refrigerator lorry in Grays, Essex, northeast of London.

The alledged illegal migrants were confirmed as Vietnamese nationals on November 8, among whom 21 came from Nghe An. Another 10 were from Ha Tinh, 3 each from Hai Phong and Quang Binh while Thua Thien-Hue and Hai Duong each had one victim.

The first victims to arrive in Vietnam on Wednesday came from three central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.— VNA/VNS Photo

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the costs for cremation and delivering ashes to Vietnam is estimated at 1,370 pounds (US$1,761) while a body repatriation is quoted at 2,208 pounds ($2,838).

The Vietnamese Government will pay in advance to help bring the victims home. Their families will later return the money to the local municipalities, said the deputy foreign affairs minister Bui Thanh Son.

Repatriation of Essex truck victims to be completed as soon as possible: official

Legal procedures to repatriate the bodies of 39 Vietnamese victims are being completed, with the victims’ relatives expected to receive the bodies as soon as possible, reported VietnamPlus, citing a Vietnamese official.

VN Security Ministry announces list of victims of UK lorry incident

One day after announcing the information affirming that all the 39 victims in the incident of the container truck in Essex, the UK are Vietnamese, the Ministry of Public Security yesterday announced their identities.

Public Security Ministry: 39 dead victims in Essex lorry are Vietnamese

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and UK police announced on November 7 that all 39 victims found dead in a container truck in Essex, the northeast of London, UK on October 23, are Vietnamese.  

VNS