UK sends documents to Vietnam to help identify truck victims
October 28, 2019, 9:24 am

UK sends documents to Vietnam to help identify truck victims

Deputy Chief Constable Pippa Mills speaks to the media during a press conference in Essex on October 25, 2019, after a man and a woman were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the 39 bodies found in a lorry. (AP)

Britain has sent documents to Vietnam to help identify some of the 39 people found dead in a truck near London, Hanoi said Monday, as fears mount that most of the dead were Vietnamese.

The eight women and 31 men found Wednesday in a refrigerated container in Essex, southeast England, were originally identified as Chinese.

But several Vietnamese families have come forward saying they fear their relatives are among the dead.

Officials started collecting DNA samples from families in Nghe An and Ha Tinh, impoverished central provinces where most of the suspected victims came from.

On Monday, Vietnam said Britain had sent documents to help with the complicated task of identifying the bodies, many who were believed to be carrying falsified passports.

“The UK side has sent four sets of dossiers related to the Essex lorry deaths... for verification coordination,” Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said, according to a report on the government’s website.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry is developing files on the suspected victims, the report said, after hair and blood samples were collected from several families.

The Vietnamese embassy in London has assigned a permanent diplomat to help with the investigation, the largest murder probe in Britain since the 2005 London suicide bombings.

British police have charged the driver of the truck, Maurice Robinson, with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people.

The 25-year-old from Northern Ireland, who also faces charges of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering, is due to appear in court on Monday.

The truck tragedy has plunged communities in central Vietnam into mourning, as families desperately wait for news from their missing relatives.

Vietnamese media reported that as many as 24 of the victims could be Vietnamese, although officials have not confirmed the number.

Central Vietnam has long been a source of illegal migration to Britain for people seeking better lives.

Vietnamese migrants often work illegally in nail bars or cannabis farms, heavily indebted and vulnerable to exploitations.

source:AFP

EU approves Brexit extension until January 31 Over 500 US soldiers, military equipment arrives in northern Syria base: Monitor

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”