Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) has published the list of 39 Vietnamese nationals who lost their lives in a refrigerated lorry in Essex, the UK last month although several government officials had said they would not reveal the victims’ identities due to “humanitarian reasons.”

According to the list published by the MPS, Nghe An province had the largest number of victims (22), followed by Ha Tinh (9), Hai Phong (3), Quang Binh (3), Hai Duong (1) and Thua Thien - Hue (1).

Data source: Essex police, MPS

According to Essex Police, the oldest victims were a 44-year-old man from Nghe An and a 41-year-old women from Hai Phong while the youngest ones were 15 and 17 years old.

The senior officer in overall charge of the enquiry Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith said: “Our priority has been to identify the victims, to preserve the dignity of those who have died and to support the victims’ friends and families.

“It remained of paramount importance to us to ensure that an individual’s next of kin were informed, and that they were given some time to absorb this tragic news before we publicly confirmed their loved one’s identity,” Smith added.

The ministry’s spokesperson To An Xo explained the MPS announced the identities because Essex Police had done so earlier.