A VIETNAMESE FAMILY fear that their daughter is one of the victims of the Essex lorry tragedy, where 39 bodies were discovered on Wednesday morning.
A series of heartbreaking text messages were sent by 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My to her family, where she said she was "dying because I can't breathe," according to The Guardian.
Initial reports suggested that each of the 39 victims were Chinese nationals, however Pham's family are now desperate to verify if their daughter is amongst the dead.
Essex Police reportedly declined to comment about the speculation, and told reporters on Friday: "As our investigations continue, the picture may change regarding identification."
The text messages received by the Vietnamese mother were allegedly received at 4.28am on Wednesday morning in Vietnam. This would have been 10.28pm UK time, when the container carrying the victims would have been in transit - and just four hours before the ambulance was called and the bodies were discovered.
In a devastating series of messages, Pham told her mother: "I'm sorry Mum. My journey abroad hasn't succeeded. Mum, I love you so much! I'm dying because I can't breathe ... I'm from Nghen, Can Loc, Ha Tinh, Vietnam ... I am sorry, Mum."
The Vietnamese embassy in London has reportedly contacted Essex Police regarding the missing woman, but have yet to receive an answer.
The BBC reported that Pham's family allegedly had to pay £30,000 for their daughter to reach the UK, and The Guardian claim that they had to remortgage their home in order to fund the journey.
More to follow...
