Vietnam charges 7 over 2019 Essex lorry deaths

Hanoi, Feb 21 (IANS) Vietnamese authorities have charged seven people in connection with the deaths of 39 citizens, who were found dead in a refrigerated lorry in the UK's Essex county last year, police said.

The migrants, including two 15-year-olds, were found in the lorry on an industrial estate in Essex on October 23, 2019 and were mostly from poor and rural areas of Vietnam's north-central provinces, reports Efe news.

On Thursday night, the Ha Tinh provincial police said the seven charged persons created immigration profiles for 67 people from various Vietnamese localities for illegal work in the UK and Europe.

Six of the accused are in custody, and police said they would request an Interpol red notice for another, a woman living in China.

The police referred to the case of a 26-year-old victim, who they said paid three of the accused $22,000 and was taken to the UK via France and China.

Post-mortem examinations pointed to hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and hyperthermia (overheating) as the causes of death.

Police said the investigation into the case was still open but did not give dates of any court appearances for those charged.