The family of a Vietnamese woman who sent tragic texts to her mum saying she ‘couldn’t breathe’ have confirmed she was one of the 39 migrants found dead in the back of a lorry in Essex.

Pham Thi Tra My, 26, sent a series of frantic messages from inside the refrigerated trailer which had travelled to England through Belgium.

The bodies of 31 men and eight women, all confirmed as Vietnamese, were discovered in a container in Grays in the early hours of October 23.

Thi Tra My’s father, Pham Van Thin, has now confirmed she was one of the dead, telling Tuio Tre: ‘The news that my daughter died in England is true. It is very painful’.

He said he received the devastating news in a call from England.

The family plan to bury her in their home town of Nghen once her body is flown back, the Mirror reported.

Relatives of 20-year-old Nguyen Dinh Luong also confirmed he was among the dead.

His grief-stricken father collapsed on hearing the news, adding later: ‘I do not believe that it is true.’

Dinh Luong’s mother said: ‘For more than a week, I have only prayed for my child to be safe. Now I have no hope. Why did my child die so young?’

Members of the Vietnamese community have gathered in London for a vigil in memory of those who died.

The service on Saturday evening was attended by more than one hundred people at the Church of the Holy Name and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in east London.

Candles spelling out ‘39’ were at the foot of the altar ahead of the service in the Catholic church, which has a large Vietnamese congregation.

On Friday, Essex Police confirmed it believes all 39 victims were Vietnamese, following initial reports they were Chinese nationals.

None of them have been formally identified by Essex Police.

But assistant chief constable Tim Smith said: ‘We are in direct contact with a number of families in Vietnam and the UK, and we believe we have identified families for some of the victims whose journey ended in tragedy on our shores.’

He added: ‘This evidence is being gathered across a number of jurisdictions worldwide. As a result, we cannot at this time announce the identity of any of the victims.’

The Vietnamese Embassy in London earlier said it was ‘deeply saddened’ to learn the deceased had all been citizens.

Essex Police has started extradition proceedings to bring 22-year-old Eamonn Harrison from Ireland to the UK.

Harrison, of Newry in Co Down, Northern Ireland, appeared in Dublin High Court on Friday charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, along with human trafficking and immigration offences, and was remanded in custody.

Detectives have also urged Ronan Hughes, 40, and his brother Christopher, 34, said to have links with the road haulage and shipping industries, to hand themselves in.

The pair, from Armagh in Northern Ireland, are wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and human trafficking.

It is understood Ronan Hughes spoke to police shortly after the driver of the lorry, Mo Robinson, 25, was arrested following the discovery.

Robinson, of Craigavon, Northern Ireland, appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with 39 counts of manslaughter, conspiracy to traffic people, conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and money laundering.

Three other people arrested in connection with the incident – two men aged 38 and 46 and a 38-year-old woman – have been released on bail.

In Vietnam, local media reported that police in the Ha Tinh province had arrested two people in connection with the deaths after launching an investigation into suspected human trafficking.

It is still not known how the victims, who police initially believed were Chinese nationals, entered the lorry trailer before it travelled from Zeebrugge in Belgium to Purfleet in Essex.

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