Essex lorry deaths: What happened to the 39 migrants?

In October 2019, 39 Vietnamese migrants were found dead in a lorry container in Essex.
They had been locked inside a sealed container, with no fresh air for almost 12 hours.
Some had borrowed thousands of pounds to pay off people smugglers for the journey.
Sky News investigates what happened to them and why their journey ended in tragedy.
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[@ajsmoth3509]

Imagine the pain and screams in the truck. My god...... so saddening

[@ipad4smalld650]

Imagine being stupid enough

[@cottage_pie]

Lol 😆

[@omxln237]

@@cottage_pie ???

[@callmealgernon1130]

Imagine if they came into the country illegally as they intended, they paid the price.

[@abdidesign3255]

@@callmealgernon1130have some humanity. They’ve already passed.

[@operationdabardos1236]

she died bcoz she dnt want family suffer RIP feel sad for her

[@hasbullah9560]

And now they have even more debt too with remortgaging the land they have meanwhile the smugglers will serve half the already lenient sentence that they will receive it’s a joke!

[@MJ18888]

I watched 5 minutes of this and cannot continue. This makes me so sad and angry!! How can only two people be charged, there has to be a whole gang of people who organised this. All of these people need to be punished!!

[@Cassidy127]

It goes a lot further than a gang. I'm convinced the police, customs and immigration officials are in on it. Probably even higher up than that.

[@Tan92lfc]

By 2 minutes 20s I paused

[@VivekKumar-tz9uu]

I want to come UK.. I m coming like same way..☺️...from Bangladesh

[@martinplayz8645]

@@Cassidy127 nobody asked for your tinfoil hat conspiracies

[@watchesfromedges]

Look at the BBC news sites. More people are awaiting sentencing.

[@petetong9725]

Mustve been one of the worst possible ways to die... Rip

[@morticiatran7159]

During after the Vietnamese wars.the 🇺🇸 army left.humans trafficking in Vnam to the west, was on African pieces of woods 🚣‍♀️. in the middle of the oceans 🌊 and it don’t work. The traffica killed women to 🍖 bbq their body meats to eat Luxurious food. When’s they’re All return to Vnam..the families..filed complaint to vietCong cobs.

[@kj5048]

My poor fellow-citizen, risking their lives and money, in order to be able to work at a better place, especially the great country like the United Kingdom. I sincerely apologize on behalf of these smugglers from my country. If it weren’t for them, none of these tragic events would happened. I’m hoping for the day when our people will live happily in their own country, and wouldn’t have to worry about escaping to another place, and ended up ...

[@TheBlueCream]

better ?.tht freezing place ?..lol...better in viet nam

[@goatclips2222]

@@TheBlueCream yeah freezing but free health care and we don’t have animals shitting all over the streets like a lot of asia, Europe and South America. It’s freezing but atleast it’s not a shithole😉

[@lindahughes4409]

I am ashamed as well kJ but your deal with nordies Alan dukes had them sussed they think they are smarter than the free staters always in scams

[@Kim-dz8dv]

The two drivers are just pawns

[@fastasfox]

Pawns that should have said NO to the work they knew had been asked to do.

[@RealYunoCS]

This was their job i mean they're supposed work somewhere

[@trevorbeatz5741]

@@RealYunoCS true

[@echo9970]

They new there were people in them lorry, they should spend the rest of there life in jail. And I think there was 6 people altogether put in jail. Not one of them got over 30yrs, that not even one year per life that is wrong. Our justice system here in the UK 🇬🇧 is not good at all. Them drivers are just evil like the rest of them, they wanted the money that's all they wanted money.

[@user-up2tz7ee7z]

@@echo9970 *their* lorry

[@Livelovelaughes]

I feel so sad to hear this news. I hope the family members are given strength. God bless them all

[@nursingsolutionagency6003]

Great documentary This is what journalism is about Thanks for the information

[@ayesha9631]

so upsetting, may they rest in peace and hopefully their families live happy and prosperous lives :(

[@MarkH10]

He 'Heard a noise". Where 39 dead people are on the ground. What source of noise?

[@katiemcguinness9208]

He said that to the police to cover up the message that Ronan Hughes sent to him

[@MajorMatt01]

Yeah he was panicked and immediately made an error in his story

[@tomaltkruger4283]

​@@MajorMatt01Also the fact he said the trailer was jammed, he truly didn't know what to do, can't blame him.

[@maureenshaw8633]

I remember seeing this on the news. Shocking that people that are desperate to come to the UK 🇬🇧 hoping to work. How sad for the loss of lives and for their families. Little do we know what's happening anytime around us all. Greedy people making money behind the scenes. They should throw away the key to the criminals who are caught and jailed. Rip to those that lost their lives .

[@hens0w]

But she was an influencer in Vietnam, her father was sending her to the UK so he could keep up with the Jones.

[@londonfoodclub2994]

Shocking what humans are capable of doing to one another… RIP 🪦

[@tomaltkruger4283]

Snowflakes pretending like this was intentional murder.

[@sexysquadie]

Where can i find the full documentary

[@TheFagTube]

Where are all the people who were spreading FREE MO all over facebook and claiming his innocence now? I'm sure they haven't admitted they were wrong about him even after knowing he was due to make 60 grand for picking up that trailer.

[@Liamperry18]

Mo was a innocent by stander

[@tomaltkruger4283]

While Mo was part of this, he still shouldn't be charged for manslaughter, only human trafficking.

[@jameshay2866]

No didn't open back and feed them dien he? Or check at port​@@tomaltkruger4283

[@kitgumayegang2562]

This is disheartening

[@behumble8249]

It must have been horrible to see their companions die one by one in front of them,, Horrible to imagine what happened inside that truck.

[@Tk-ku5bh]

Why was the lorry not searched in France,

[@fredwest7436]

Political games probably. Some sort of weird revenge by the French for the Brexit?

[@Swedenball730]

It's hard being a border jumper sometimes things goes wrong and disaster strikes.

[@BigM341]

I don't understand why the migrants flew to France but not the UK. Surely if they could enter France, they could enter UK as well.

[@x67th]

The checks at English airports are "said" notice that word, to be more safe and secure, harder to get through than others in Europe. This obviously isn't the case but thats probably the impression they was under, so the smugglers thought it would be much easier to get them through French airport checks. I honestly doubt if they had reached Britain they'd of got past those checks and just sent straight back home.

[@okano186]

Because English is taught in schools in Vietnam and most young Vietnamese know how to speak English but not French.

[@jimpickins7900]

@@okano186 Weird since it was a french colony

[@cindy_le1106]

That's so sad :( So many potential lives lost cause of greed... I hope he get the maximum sentence. He killed 39 people

[@aspect0097]

He got something like 12 years I think

[@bruh-jj4xj]

27 years i think for someone

[@emservices2962]

George Nica: 23 years Roman Hughes: 20 years Eamonn Harrison: 17 years Maurice Robinson: 13 years

[@rishendelamalia3532]

@Worzal Gummidge my man he knew

[@luke-qq1sd]

so sad how people need to do this to try and live a better life

[@tommyboybr]

This is so horrible.

[@annabanna123]

Being born in a country with a strong economy is a lottery. I’m grateful.

[@coventrypunx1014]

The U.K Government rewards people that enter the U.K illegally ... so the U.K Government is to blame

[@hirsch4155]

Absolutely, but hey as long as they show sympathy and indignation, everything is absolved!

[@daletravels23]

@@hirsch4155 yeah coz we are an easy ride ... not anymore .

[@Enamm82]

Just so sad, 😞 just imagine what they're families are going through.. My heart goes out to all the families. 😢

[@redwan8363]

wtf? This is so heartbreaking 😢

[@Jamie-nt3eh]

Only 2 found guilty?

[@jame9200]

i wish torture interrogation was legal for authorities

[@hayley2984]

No these two were found guilty as they pleaded not guilty the others pleaded guilty in the beginging so no need for a trial they will all be sentanced next week it's discusting makes me so angry! I cannot imagine how much they suffered

[@ziggypop8106]

4 named total around 70 years, another 4 unnamed total 14.5 years

[@emservices2962]

This is actually so upsetting, especially to mention how close to Purfleet I am, that ship passed my house

[@SuperDolly64]

why did'nt they stay in france or belgium? can't they work hard to send money back to their families from those places?

[@pruewyatttran2412]

Yes Why UK, only, ..USA France Australia Canada. Many people in Vietnam good SCAm and deportation sale in Dubai/Africa, China/south Korea/Thailand for sex trademarks

[@hirsch4155]

Because uk allows cramming of groups of people in housing, with no checks on status or nothing.

[@johnsharman7614]

Try Canada or Australia NOT A CHANCE IN HELL.

[@goenzoy]

Donna Lambton Try to get a job in France without speaking french

[@s._3560]

@@goenzoy They are ex-colony of France. Paris is already the home to the oldest Overseas Vietnamese community in the Western world and one of the largest outside of Vietnam.

[@jaydenibbetson]

Heartbreaking to see this.

[@CheryPendragonMakeUp]

Why are we only finding out about this now?

[@kamelmebhah4122]

So sad, people making money out of others misery

[@t0kigh02t7]

We had a truck with over 100 that were abandoned on the side of the road. Only 13 lived here in America

[@blisss2184]

this is so heartbreaking

[@eddiedeleon2425]

the book of Victor Hugo, the timeless

[@chazsexy4028]

that’s horrible

[@darekgruszewski6605]

This is Big tragedy for family of victims 😞😞😔

[@XYZ-qg4id]

This is sad and cringe to watch my condolences to everyone that lost someone.

[@NL-tr7ix]

BBC: “39 found dead in lorry were Chinese nationals” BBC: “What? It’s Vietnamese nationals? Okay let me close the comment section of that clip”

[@dazza1788]

He could of put the fridge motor on

[@jus__gra]

Or carry half the amount of people like they did before. They simply didn’t account how much air would be used.

[@oliviahillier3366]

So sad 😭 they suffered horrendous deaths

[@minervamartinez5527]

OMG THEY ALL RIP 😢 THIS IS SO SAD

[@izzudinhakimi7665]

My hearts break so much watching the end of this💔😭😭😭

[@itzowenzxzx3945]

We are full.

[@DinamicMCGaming]

Interesting how a similar video by ITV News is exactly 15:42 in length as well.

[@masterodg5406]

Is it just me or did this story get completely forgotten?

[@jus__gra]

Nah bro it’s all over tiktok the now. The truck looking class probs helped it.

[@luckysmith9466]

Dear Lord 🙏 how sad 😔 🇯🇲

[@pifflevariety]

I hope all of the victims family’s get prosperity and prayers

[@raykenley]

If only those Vietnamese knew with that amount of money they could easily book a trip to Europe, act like tourist and stay, in between or at the end of the journey. There is a reason why nail shops are every where in Britain now. The worker get pay anything between 700 to 1500 pound a week. A lot of money compare in Vietnam.

[@Nononoone]

Anybody here from seeing it on TikTok?

[@conorfleming5180]

me

[@jus__gra]

There’s a 45 min documentary about this too, it’s in 480p but still a good watch. There was one cool bit. The business address was a postbox on a pole. 🤣🤣

[@saulbenjamin6368]

am jamaican and I could never do stuff like that to go to UK

[@anilthap6542]

All these dramas have been seen and witnessed years and years still no result.. find out the root 😡😡

[@yoseyl1850]

The root is all these governments regulating food to boarders.. we all know but what are we doing?? nothing, leaving it to the next person to sort out 😔

[@animsphere1511]

I remember this news. At that time, the western media was overwhelming to publicize that this was a group of Chinese people. When it is confirmed that it is Vietnamese. They disappeared

[@hoasam5786]

Hope the driver don't get out of jail or prison.

[@hoyboys1000]

Money ---- more important than human life. Horrible!

[@brucedockeray6326]

heartbreaking and powerful

[@mimiespasol8547]

why did the people inside try contacting online any person to contact while on the truck and why didn't the driver heard any screams or maybe the people the truck passed by????

[@pw6295]

Rod Serling Was Prophetic With This Warning

[@thaokip1]

Thật đau xót. Chỉ vì nghèo mà họ phải rời bỏ Việt Nam. Đây là nỗi đau quá lớn với gia đình nạn nhân

[@13eHeo]

Ko phải lỗi của họ mà là lỗi của nhà lãnh đạo. Tại sao con cái của các ông lãnh đạo thì lại dc bay mà những người như 39 nạn nhân như vậy lại chết 1 cách tức tưởi như vậy.

[@13eHeo]

Những người bỏ đi bằng đường bất hợp pháp thì đâu có cơ hội để làm việc tại nước và nơi họ sinh sống vì miếng đất cũng bị cướp, và tại sao tôi nói lỗi của các lãnh đạo là mà ko làm cho đất nước và người dân sống khá hơn thì nên từ chức để người khác làm công việc đó khá hơn . Những lãnh đạo đó có dám từ chức ko hay là đợi về vườn hay bị lôi ra làm bia đỡ đạn mới trèo xuống .

[@juliespencer1164]

I will say why do these migrants do this and risk their lives in this way. And the people who took money off them should all be charged for these people's deaths. RIP to those who have died in this dreadful tragedy. so sad.

[@adamcroft9007]

Notice when he’s on the phone to the ambulance he stays ‘I heard THE noise’ not, I heard A noise

[@official.1471]

It's not even the lorry drivers fault.... he didn't know

[@jus__gra]

He knew- it wasn’t Mo’s first rodeo.

[@olg06]

Why? What's wrong with living in Vietnam?

[@jcn268]

It's poor

[@jonathan.castelino]

poverty, debt, "quality of life", desperation, dreams, aspirations and limitations

[@adamtady9288]

They try to stop “criminals” instead of letting these ppl come freely to work tf

[@DonnellOkafor-pd7yn]

These ppl were criminals

[@adamtady9288]

@@DonnellOkafor-pd7yn criminals for getting in a lorry seeking for better life in the europe? I wouldn’t say so

[@mccarey5932]

​@@adamtady9288for sneaking in somewhere they are not wanted and have no right to come

[@user-em5mr4ug1f]

Awful

[@matiswiet2990]

Polar express 🤠

[@elementhd8675]

Klintra bv

[@marktucker208]

How can the trailer have got through 2 customs checks without being discovered? In the future these people need to make sure that they take a screwdriver or something so that if anything happens they can at least punch holes in the side of the walls

[@williamparker7947]

If this goverment was tougher with immigrants this sort of thing would not happen!! Simple!

[@niccoarcadia4179]

Steeper fines for drivers caught with illegal migrants will help. Mandatory ten year prison sentence will fix them up.

[@shomari25]

This is just a question, please bare in mind I am also a foreigner. If they pay 10k, why not just make an application at home office?

[@CVLFMG]

Probably didn't know or would have been refused

[@ciarajones4970]

@Toot Taataa but they were in france so why didn't they just stay there

[@miaash3870]

Surely, they could enter the UK legally to study!

[@ciarajones4970]

@Toot Taataa how? So is the uk I live here. If they're look for perfect then they should get on a lorry to virtual reality.

[@pruewyatttran2412]

Yes I don't understand either, Because HO, Woking Visas, students visa application aloud to live and work in UK... this is Why people teaching me illegal work lifestyle,🥑🥑🥑🤪🤒🤕⛽🏃🏃🏃

[@johnsharman7614]

If the UK had more strict rules on immigration we wouldn't have this problem in the 1st place. As the reporter says that they would earn enough money and then go home? I don't think so.

[@ryancrichton8910]

This is a shame but every trailer should be checked before leaving port to easy to border hop

[@G22865]

Unbelievable

[@PeterWoodstorrechianca]

The grow cannabis in houses and by pass the meter

[@tiff1277]

@Fufu have u watched the video? Also u do know their time of deaths? Being that before anyone was called the the site. If u find a dead body/ies u wouldnt waste ambulance/medical staffs time by asking for an ambulance, ud ask for police and they most likely also send a csi squad too

[@plainenglish7713]

@Fufu the video didn't SHOW any ambulances arriving, that doesn't mean they didn't. Ambulance services are often filled with calls and there might not have been any in the area whereas the police could've been.

[@karenwalkeden6030]

@Fufu 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 God bless England and all Saxons.

[@countryboy9695]

He said 10 - 30,000 pounds they are paying for journey. Thats huge money. Why cant they invest that money in a business ? vietnam is a growing economy.

[@stevesteves945]

The Vietnamese economy utilises a market socialist framework. So even for a successful business, there is no return of dividends proportional to the capital invested into the company.

[@marklanahan7289]

Its so easy to just walk in the front door that I have to wonder why anyone would want to try this?

[@voduz999]

Rip very sad

[@mjh5437]

They travelled through about 20 other "safe countries" between Vietnam and Britain.......I guess they just missed their stop.

[@chirstopherj22]

An died

[@robbielay6233]

They paid to get to England to work not to seek asylum in Europe

[@enochpowel3030]

@@robbielay6233 your a criminal not a migrant

[@tiff1277]

When u go on holiday, u may stop or have a interconnecting flight that means that u stopped in a different country? Is that where u wanted to finally be? No? So u kept going and got to ur destination, thats the same for them.

[@tiff1277]

@Fufu please may u provide your sources. Id like to look into this

[@md.saifulislamfaisal6546]

All of them who are responsible for this must be caught and everyone else should not try to go abroad this way.

[@papadieno405]

So heartbreaking may they RIP 🙏🏿🙏🏿

[@Dubladeire32]

The people responsible should never see light of day ever again..... God bless the victim's

[@celticlofts]

They'll only serve about six years of their sentence and then be released. Sobering isn't it?

[@cicianne10]

Oh God😭😭Nooo

[@heyuder]

Heartbreaking.

[@patrickjm3487]

Unreal what has happened here to all these people it’s a shame to see this happen this day and age)) God bless all their family’s

[@Polyglot_English]

Still happening

[@matt8847]

What's sad is that they are trying to destroy the lives of Europeans by sending money back home

[@trevormcintyre4897]

This is horrific!!! RIP

[@alyssa2796]

This is incredibly heartbreaking. For the people, families, and the driver.

[@jaimecartledge6778]

Driver was on board w it

[@en4m3y]

The driver was part of the human trafficking u mug

[@elsie3309]

@@jaimecartledge6778 Heis surely traumatised from opening the door and seeing that and the smell that’s traumatising

[@kobebryant346]

💔💔💔

[@0800_BBO9]

It has now been 2 years since they died. 😰

[@ajonsson2013]

No punishment????

[@notneccessary8008]

for the love of god please come on a plane and go through the system

[@user-ss1hz2iq4p]

trust me if they would have been able to they would, desperation makes things much worse

[@danny15yearsago48]

@@user-ss1hz2iq4p could be financial stress

[@ann-mariepaliukenas19]

They wouldn’t be able to get through immigration.

[@aussiej2973]

the irish who did it have Stockholm syndrome with Europe

[@WilliamBolger]

Hey Joey Joey, the 2 drivers are British.

[@sarah.3599]

What was the vapour coming out of the lorry?

[@jus__gra]

The heat from the dead bodies meeting the cold air outside.

[@Lilia4102]

Heartbreaking this world has a lot of beautiful places don't understand why people risk live for a better future rest in peace

[@mohandasdixit9315]

How did they fly from China to Paris ?? No immigration check in Paris ?

[@Cornz38]

Probably just passed straight through, the French wouldn't care as it would be us that would end up caring for them. France is guilty of allowing this to happen right under it's nose.

[@TheKingoldmaster]

They probably posed as tourists.

[@elementhd8675]

That scania is beaty

[@brianedwards9080]

God bless them all who-ever they are, Such a terrible tradgedy R.I.P

[@Kattar_Hindu_rahul]

@@carlwilson6747 what about Muslims immigrants? They're very lucky, they atlest got some sympathy

[@Kattar_Hindu_rahul]

@@carlwilson6747 thanks carl

[@fakir75]

It s so pitty...

[@Mizowizo]

It makes me feel so sad as i was on of the people that had to travel to the uk back of lorry as well everybody takes that life chance 😔

[@GavinQuinainPRT]

@@rosshirst5474 lol u should see some of the living conditions some of these migrants have to endure back home compared to the living conditions in the uk. Might have worse weather in the uk but who cares? given by the fact countless people come to the uk to seek a better life for their families - obviously it’s worth it 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@Rumym8]

Then leave

[@Mizowizo]

@@GavinQuinainPRT yes mate well said 🙏

[@Mizowizo]

@@Rumym8 get a life mate come on

[@meylim1228]

Rest in peace

[@Ralphs-House]

Also upsetting were the volume of people on social networks that week (I remember it well), insisting that the lorry drive was innocent and he was being victimised.