DNA samples have been taken from the relatives of people feared to be among the 39 who died in a lorry container in Essex, family members say.
This is expected to be a lengthy process on the British side, with Essex Police saying on Friday that the “picture may change” as it develops.
But in Vietnam, a number of families have already come forward to say they believe their loved ones may have been among those who died.
Their final communications with family are similar – either on Monday or Tuesday last week in the hours before the container was found.
Below, we have compiled accounts of some of those who are believed to have been inside the container.
Pham Thi Tra My
The father of 26 – year-old Tra My, from the Can Loc district of Ha Tinh, said he and his wife paid smugglers to pave a “safe route” out of Vietnam for their daughter in the hope she would be able to build a better life elsewhere.
“We tried to talk her out of it,” Pham Van Thin told Sky News, adding: “Because it would be a very difficult journey for her as a girl.
” But she said if I don’t go, the family would stay in a very difficult situation because of our big debt. So she took a risk and decided to go. “
He said his daughter” had a big heart and really cared for the family “.
Tra My is said to have left the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi for China on 3 October, before flying to France a few days later.
Her last communication with her family came on Tuesday evening – just hours before the bodies were discovered – where she told them that she thought she was going to die.
“So sorry mum and dad,” she wrote in messages translated by Sky News.
“The route to abroad didn’t succeed. Mum. I love you and dad so much.
” I am dying because I can’t breathe. I am from Can Loc Ha Tinh. Vietnam. Mum. I’m very sorry. “
Nguyen Dinh Tu
Tu’s relatives living in the UK had planned to pick the 26 – year-old up from an agreed location after the crossing – but he never made it.
His father, Nguyen Dinh Sat, told Reuters that the relatives later called him to say they believed his son was one of the 39 people inside the container.
“I haven’t heard anything from my son, “he said. His last contact with family was on Tuesday.
Tu, who is from Do Thanh in the Nghe An province, moved abroad and worked illegally in Romania and Germany after being discharged from the military, according to Sat.
But after losing his job in Europe, Tu asked his wife Hoang Thi Thuong to help gather £ 11, 000 for funds to travel from Germany to the UK.
Speaking to Reuters, his wife said: “I have a big debt to pay, no hope, and no energy to do anything.”
Bui Phan Thang
Thang initially left his home on 2 October but phoned his family on Monday to say he was about to get into a vehicle, which is the last they heard from him.
His family is spread across a number of locations, with his wife and three children living in Vietnam and his siblings in the UK.
Anna Bui Thi Nhung
Nhung is believed to have paid smugglers nearly £ 8, 000 to help her reach the UK, where she wanted to work as a nail technician.
But the 19 – year-old, who is from Yen Thanh in Nghe An, told her Facebook friend on Monday that her journey, at the time, was “not good”.
It’s “almost spring, “she added, using a Vietnamese term that describes a journey coming to an end.
Just days earlier she had uploaded photos of herself in Brussels, where she posted about” such a beautiful day “.
Nguyen Dinh Luong
The last Luong’s family had heard of the 20 – year-old’s whereabouts was on Tuesday – the day before the container was discovered – when a “middle agency” called them and said a money transfer would be required after their relative had arrived in the UK.
But that was also the last time the family heard about the payment, they told ABC News.
Luong’s brother Nguyen Dinh Oanh told the broadcaster that Luong had been living in France, but had decided to move to London to find better work opportunities.
“It was very hard for him to find a stable job in France, so he decided to try and move to the United Kingdom to find more opportunities and for more stable employment,” Oanh said.
The family, from Can Loc, Ha Tinh, then heard from a friend on 19 October that Luong soon planned to take a bus to Paris, before getting on a lorry bound for the UK.
Le Van Ha
Ha , from Do Than in Nghe An, paid a huge sum for his overall journey to the UK and his family had to re-mortgage two houses, his father told local media.
Departing from Tan Son airport , Ha paid around £ 17, 000 to make his onward travel to Malaysia, Turkey, Greece and France.
He is said to have paid an extra £ 11, 000 to then finish the journey in the UK, but has not contacted anyone since confirming that he was in France.
Vo Nhan Du
Photos of 19 – year-old Vo Nhan Du from Can Loc have been shared in local Vietnamese Facebook groups in a bid to gather information on the missing teenager.
He is believed to have left Belgium for the UK on Tuesday, which is the last time his family had contact with him, according to local media.
Vo Ngoc Nam
Father-of-two Nam last called his wife on Tuesday to say he had just boarded a lorry in France and would soon be en route to England.
Speaking to local media on Saturday, his father Vo Ngoc Luyen said the family was “shocked” after reading the news about the Essex container, and were “very anxious” while waiting to receive official information.
Nam is believed to have traveled to Romania, before Germany and France, to find work. The local report described the family situation as “difficult”.
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