On Sunday 27 October a memorial event will be held to remember the 39 Vietnamese people whose bodies were found in Eastern Avenue, West Thurrock, having tragically died at the hands of a criminal people smuggling gang.
Revd Canon Stephen Myers, Mayor of Thurrock Cllr Kairen Raper, Cabinet Member for Community Partnerships Cllr Val Morris-Cook, and Thurrock Council Leader Cllr John Kent will join the families of victims at West Thurrock Memorial Ground, where a memorial and 39 trees remember all those who lost their lives that day.
Cllr Morris-Cook said: “We will never forget the tragic event that took place in the early hours of Wednesday 23 October 2019, where 39 young people lost their lives. The 31 men and eight women from Vietnam who died that day were all aged between 15 and 39 years-old. They had come here full of hope and ambition seeking to start new lives.
“This event will remember them and the terrible events that transpired five years ago. We will welcome family and friends to the memorial we maintain here in the borough to mark their passing, as we all reflect on the heart-breaking loss that was suffered that day as tragic victims of organised immigration crime."
The memorial service will begin at 11am on Sunday 27 October at West Thurrock Memorial Park, Hilltop Road, West Thurrock.
The wording on the memorial reads as follows.
"In remembrance and testimony to those who tragically lost their lives at the hands of organised immigration crime. Thurrock stands united in its commitment to prevent Modern Day Slavery and Human Trafficking in all its forms by providing support and protection for victims and prosecution of those who see our fellow human beings as mere commodities for trade and exploitation."