Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh have condoled the death of the victims in a truck death case in the UK's Essex county last month.
| Essex police believe the victims are Vietnamese. Photo: Xinhua |
The PM and Deputy PM expressed their condolences to the families of the victims who are believed to be Vietnamese nationals according to Essex police.
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send delegations to work with British authorities for the case.
Deputy PM Minh said in a tweet “There were Vietnamese believed to be among 39 migrants who were found dead in a lorry in Essex. With deepest sorrows, I would like to extend deep sympathy with and sincere condolences to families of the victims.”
“Vietnam will continue working closely with British competent authorities in the case,” the Deputy PM and Foreign Minister said.
“As a father, brother, husband and son, I cannot imagine what it must be to lose your loved ones in this way so far away from home,” British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward said in a video clip posted on the US Embassy's facebook.
Some days after the victims were found dead, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed a condolence book honoring the 39 people who died in a refrigerated truck container.
He wrote that “the whole nation, and indeed the world, has been shocked by this tragedy.” He says the victims were “innocent people who were hoping for a better life in this country.”
Boris Johnson renewed his pledge to find those responsible for the truck deaths.
On November 1, Essex police’s Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith said in a statement that they believe the victims are Vietnamese nationals, and they are in contact with the Vietnamese government.
So far, five people have been arrested in connection with the deaths while Vietnamese police on November 1 arrested two suspects who will be prosecuted in connection to missing persons from dozens of different families in Vietnam. Meanwhile, British authorities have contacted a number of families in Vietnam's central province of Ha Tinh, informing that some victims are likely their relatives.
