Essex lorry deaths: 39 Vietnamese people died of suffocation and overheating in container, inquest hears

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The 39 Vietnamese men, women and children who were found dead in a lorry container died of suffocation and overheating, an inquest has heard.

Ten teenagers were among the migrants found dead in a vehicle parked on the Waterglade industrial park in Grays in the early hours of 23 October.

An inquest into their deaths was opened at Essex Coroner’s Court on Thursday and adjourned.

Lincoln Brookes, the area coroner for Essex, said it would resume when criminal proceedings linked to the case has concluded.

He expressed his “deep condolences” to the relatives of the dead, adding: “This was clearly on any view a tragedy on a large scale, and a personal tragedy to each of the families.”

The names of the deceased were read aloud by coroner's officer Nick Hale at the hearing, after a scheduled Vietnamese interpreter went into self-isolation over coronavirus.

Post-mortem and toxicology reports have given the cause of death as asphyxia and hyperthermia in an enclosed space, Mr Hale said.

Essex Police said last month they had sent detectives to the Vietnam to meet relatives of the deceased as they investigate the alleged human trafficking plot.

Several people have been alleged in connection with the deaths and the alleged wider ring.

Maurice Robinson, who was driving the lorry, admitted conspiring to assist illegal immigration and acquiring criminal property in November but has not yet entered pleas to 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to commit human trafficking or transferring criminal property.

Valentin Calota, 37, of Cossington Road in Birmingham, has been charged with conspiring to facilitate a breach of UK immigration law.

Four other men have also been charged by British police, while Vietnamese investigators were prosecuting seven people.

Lorry driver Eamonn Harrison has been granted an appeal against his extradition from Ireland to the UK.

The 23-year-old is alleged to have driven the container to the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium and later signed the shipping notice for it as it moved onwards to Britain.

The names of the deceased were read out as: