VN, UK work to complete procedures to bring lorry victims’ bodies home
Vietnam, UK work to complete procedures to bring lorry victims’ bodies home
Vietnam and the UK are working to complete legal and technical procedures to repatriate the bodies of 39 Vietnamese who found dead in a lorry in Essex last month, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said on November 25 on the sidelines of the 14th National Assembly’s eighth sitting.
Vietnam and the UK are working to complete legal and technical procedures to repatriate the bodies of 39 Vietnamese who found dead in a lorry in Essex last month. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam and the UK are working to complete legal andtechnical procedures to repatriate the bodies of 39 Vietnamese who found deadin a lorry in Essex last month, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui ThanhSon said on November 25 on the sidelines of the 14th National Assembly’s eighthsitting.
Along with technical procedures, the return of the bodies needs approval fromthe UK’s judges.
“Both sides are working closely, with hope to bring the victims’ remains homeas soon as possible”, Son said.
According to the deputyminister, most of the victims’ families wanted to receive the bodies and fewagreed to receive cremated remains.
Earlier on November 21,Son said that the Vietnamese Government would pay in advance for the return ofthe bodies and cremains. The victims’ families would then refund theGovernment.
The diplomat also said that if any charity, businesses orbenefactors wish to provide support for the victims' families, they could workdirectly with the families and local governments.
Accordingto an official document released the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fee tobring a jar of ashes to Noi Bai Airport is 1,370 GBP, equivalent to 41.1million VND.
Body repatriation in a coffin made of zinc can cost up to 2,208 GBP, or 66million VND.
The ministry asked local authoritiesto make plans to receive the bodies or ashes and transport them to theirhometowns.
The number of coffins and jars andrepatriation time will be announced later./.
The Government will provide an advance to pay for the repatriation ofthe bodies of victims found dead last month in a containerlorry in Essex, the UK, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son.
Vietnam has not received any information on the UK’s financial support for the return of the bodies/ashes of 39 Vietnamese nationals found dead in a refrigerated lorry last month in Essex, the UK, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang.
British police have charged a 23-year-old man from Northern Ireland with human trafficking as part of their inquiry into the deaths of 39 people found in the back of a container truck near London last month.
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Vietnam and the UK are working to complete legal and technical procedures to repatriate the bodies of 39 Vietnamese who found dead in a lorry in Essex last month. (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
