Essex lorry deaths: Bodies found in refrigerated trailer return to Vietnam for burial

‘It’s bittersweet, I can’t believe I would have to welcome my son back like this’

The bodies of 16 of the 39 Vietnamese who died when human traffickers carried them by lorry to the UK last month were repatriated to their homeland on Wednesday and have been taken to their families.

The bodies arrived on a flight that landed in Hanoi, the news website VNExpress reported.

The website published photos of ambulances that transported the bodies to their home provinces south of Hanoi.

The bodies were found on 23 October in Essex.

Police say the victims were aged between 15 and 44.

The 31 men and eight women are believed to have paid human traffickers for their clandestine transit into the UK.

Several suspects have been arrested in the UK and Vietnam.

Hoang Lanh, father of 18-year-old victim Hoang Van Tiep, said by phone that he had been informed by a local government official that his son's remains would be brought home Wednesday, along with those of six other victims from Dien Chau district in Nghe An province, including Mr Tiep's cousin Nguyen Van Hung.

“It's bittersweet, I can't believe I would have to welcome my son back like this,” Mr Lanh said.

“I'm devastated but I am happy to have him back with us soon.”

Hoang Thi Nhiem, Mr Tiep's sister, said her family had received her brother's body shortly before noon.

“We are very sad, but we are happy now that he has been brought back to the place where he was born to be with his family and surrounded with love from the family,” she said.

Anna Hoang Thi Ai, mother of Hoang Van Tiep, cries next to his body in Nghe An province (Reuters)

“He would not be able to rest in peace if he had still been in England.”

Another victim's family expressed their sadness ahead of receiving the bodies of their loved one.

“I have been sad for a month and I can't eat anything,” said Nguyen Thanh Le, father of 33-year-old Nguyen Van Hung.

A relative of Hoang Van Tiep lights a candle on his coffin (Reuters)

“My son died far away from his home and I had to wait for a long time, but today his body is coming back and tomorrow is the funeral.”

Legal proceedings in the case are continuing in the UK.

A lorry driver who allegedly was the driver of the vehicle in which the 39 bodies were found pleaded guilty to plotting with others to assist illegal immigration and acquiring criminal property.

Irish truck driver Maurice Robinson accused of being part of an international people-smuggling ring, was not asked to enter pleas to 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people.

Police say he drove the cab of the vehicle to the port of Purfleet, where it picked up the container, which had arrived by ferry from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium.

Police have also said they had arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.

Two other men have been arrested in connection with the case.

Associated Press