Vietnamese Vice Ambassador to the UK To Minh Thu (3rd, left) discusses with representatives of the Greater Manchester Police at the scene of the fire (Photo: VNA) London (VNA) - Representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK are working with local police following the discovery of human remains in a building in Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said four Vietnamese citizens had been reported missing and investigations are underway to determine if the bodies are those people.
An official from the Vietnamese Embassy has visited the scene of the discovery in the north west of England.
At the scene of the fire (Photo: VNA) Firefighters were initially called to an address in Oldham on May 7 after a huge blaze broke out. At the time it was not believed anyone was inside the premises.
But on July 23, demolition staff working on the property discovered human remains.
GMP received a report on July 21 that four Vietnamese nationals were missing and may have been involved in a fire.
To Minh Thu, Deputy Ambassador of Vietnam in the UK, said immediately after receiving the information, on July 25, the Vietnamese Embassy actively contacted and worked with GMP to discuss the case, process and justification the law supports the verification of victims' identities and nationality.
They are also working with overseas Vietnamese living in the UK.
GMP Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts said "Victims and the bereaved are at the forefront of our investigations into deaths. As such, whilst work is ongoing to confirm the identity of the deceased, we are liaising with partner agencies to ensure potential family members in Vietnam are fully informed and supported.”
“On behalf of the investigation team, I appeal to anyone with information to contact them directly or, anonymously, via Crimestoppers. They’re particularly interested in hearing from anyone who knows how the building was being used in the lead up to the seventh of May or who has information about the fire itself,” he said.
The embassy also actively plans to implement protective measures, post-processing necessary in case the victim is confirmed to be Vietnamese citizens.
Vietnamese citizens who need assistance or have related information can contact the Citizen Protection hotline of the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, telephone 44 7713 181 501./.
VNA
