39 migrants found dead in back of lorry ‘all Vietnamese’

The 39 migrants found dead in the back of a lorry are believed to be Vietnamese nationals, Essex police has said.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith said on Friday evening: "At this time, we believe the victims are Vietnamese nationals, and we are in contact with the Vietnamese Government.

"We are in direct contact with a number of families in Vietnam and the UK, and we believe we have identified families for some of the victims whose journey ended in tragedy on our shores."

"The confirmatory evidence needed to formally present cases to HM Senior Coroner for her consideration has not yet been obtained.

"This evidence is being gathered across a number of jurisdictions worldwide. As a result, we cannot at this time announce the identity of any of the victims."