Coroner offers condolences for 39 Vietnamese nationals found in lorry container
A coroner has expressed his “deep condolences” to relatives of 39 Vietnamese nationals found dead in a lorry container in Essex as he opened the inquests into their deaths.
Area coroner for Essex Lincoln Brookes said it was “clearly on any view a tragedy on a large scale and a personal tragedy to each of the families”.
The names of the deceased, including 10 teenagers, were read aloud by coroner’s officer Nick Hale during the 10-minute hearing at Essex Coroner’s Court after a scheduled Vietnamese interpreter went into self-isolation over the coronavirus.
Post-mortem and toxicology reports have given the cause of death as asphyxia and hyperthermia – a lack of oxygen and overheating – in an enclosed space, Mr Hale said.
The hearing was adjourned until any criminal proceedings linked with the case are concluded, the coroner said.
Essex Police said last month they had sent detectives to the south-east Asian country to meet relatives of the deceased as they investigate the alleged human trafficking plot.
Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among eight women and 31 males found dead in the lorry parked on the Waterglade industrial park in Grays in the early hours of October 23 last year.
The names of the deceased, who were identified by their fingerprints with assistance from Vietnamese authorities, were read out as:
– Dinh Binh Dinh, a 15-year-old boy from Hai Phong
– Thi Tra My Pham, a 26-year-old woman from Ha Tinh
– Dinh Luong Nguyen, a 20-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Huy Phong Nguyen, a 35-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Nhan Du Vo, a 19-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Manh Hung Tran, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Khanh Tho Tran, an 18-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Vo Van Linh, a 25-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Van Nhan Nguyen, a 33-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Phan Thang Bui, a 37-year-old man from Ha Tinh
– Huy Hung Nguyen, a 15-year-old boy from Ha Tinh
– Thi Tho Tran , a 21-year-old woman from Nghe An
– Bui Thi Nhung, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An
– Ngoc Nam Vo, a 28-year-old man from Nghe An
– Dinh Tu Nguyen, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An
– Van Ha Le, a 30-year-old man from Nghe An
– Thi Ngoc Tran, a 19-year-old woman from Nghe An
– Van Hung Nguyen, a 33-year-old man from Nghe An
– Hoang Van Tiep, an 18-year-old man from Nghe An
– Cao Tien Dung, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An
– Cao Huy Thanh, a 37-year-old man from Nghe An
– Thi Mai Nhung Tran, an 18-year-old woman from Nghe An
– Minh Quang Nguyen, a 20-year-old man from Nghe An
– Trong Thanh Le, a 44-year-old man from Dien Chau
– Pham Thi Ngoc Oanh, a 28-year-old woman from Nghe An
– Hoang Van Hoi, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An
– Tho Tuan Nguyen, a 25-year-old man from Nghe An
– Dang Huu Tuyen, a 22-year-old man from Nghe An
– Trong Thai Nguyen, a 26-year-old man from Nghe An
– Van Hiep Nguyen, a 24-year-old man from Nghe An
– Thi Van Nguyen, a 35-year-old woman from Nghe An
-Tran Hai Loc , a 35-year-old man from Nghe An
-Duong Minh Tuan, a 27-year-old man from Quang Binh
– Ngoc Ha Nguyen, a 32-year-old man from Quang Binh
– Tien Dung Nguyen, a 33-year-old man from Quang, Binh
– Phan Thi Thanh, a 41-year-old woman from Hai Phong
– Ba Vu Hung Nguyen, a 31-year-old man from Thua Thien Hue
– Dinh Dinh Thai Quyen, an 18-year-old man from Hai Phong
– Tran Ngoc Hieu, a 17-year-old boy from Hai Duong
