This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
On November 27, 2019, the bodies of 16 Vietnamese migrants who died in a refrigerated lorry in the UK arrived back in Vietnam, bringing closure to their families.
The victims, eight women and 31 men, including two boys aged 15, were found dead in the lorry in Essex on October 23, 2019.
Investigations are ongoing in both the UK and Vietnam, with several people arrested or charged in connection with the tragedy.
According to the vice minister of foreign affairs, the repatriation of each body will cost the victims' families over 66.2 million Vietnamese dong ($2,856; £2,204).
Several Vietnamese organizations have raised money to support the families of the victims, with over $110,000 crowdfunded so far.
One of the victims, Pham Thi Tra My, had sent distressing messages to her family on the evening of October 22, 2019, before her death.
Her father, Vo Van Binh, spoke to AFP from Ha Tinh province, saying, 'We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time. We will organise the funeral as soon as he's returned.'
Image copyrightAFP
The remains arrived in Hanoi early on Wednesday.
