Vietnamese PM orders people trafficking probe after UK truck deaths

Vietnam's prime minister has ordered a probe into the trafficking of Vietnamese people following the discovery of 39 bodies in a truck in the UK.

Pham Thi Tra My, 26, sent text messages to her family saying she could not breathe. Source: Supplied

Amid harrowing tales of missing Vietnamese who are potential victims in the UK truck deaths, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered an investigation into the trafficking of Vietnamese, state media says.

After British police discovered 39 bodies in a truck in Essex last week, police statements initially suggested all migrants were Chinese nationals. It now seems likely the majority are Vietnamese.

The lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Grays, Essex. Source: AAP

"[You] must investigate and find out cases of Vietnamese citizens being brought illegally to foreign countries and strictly handle the violations," Mr Phuc said in a statement late on Saturday, as quoted by local newspaper VnExpress.

Mr Phuc also called on the Vietnamese embassy in the UK to work with British police and help identify the victims.

The Vietnamese embassy has also set up a hotline for concerned Vietnamese nationals who are seeking assistance, according to the Vietnamese government's official media page.

Many Vietnamese families are now concerned about the fate of their missing children. According to local media reports, as many as 13 families in central Vietnam have now reported their children missing since 23 October.

Nguyen Dinh Luong is a possible victim. Source: Family handout via BBC

On 25 October, a rights activist revealed text messages from 26-year-old Pham Thi Tra My sent to her mother in Vietnam saying she was "dying because I can't breathe."

Hundreds of Vietnamese nationals are trafficked to Britain each year, according to the charity Ecpat.