The bodies of 39 migrants found dead in a refrigerated lorry in the UK have begun to arrive back in Vietnam.
Sixteen of the victims arrived at Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi early on Wednesday morning, local officials said.
The remaining bodies were set to be repatriated later.
Eight women and 31 men, including two 15-year-old boys were found dead in the lorry on an industrial estate in Essex last month.
They are all Vietnamese nationals.
The bodies are to be taken by ambulances to their homes in the southeast Asian country.
Several people have been arrested and charged in connection to the incident as police in the UK and Vietnam continue to investigate.
Vietnamese police said earlier this month the victims came from six provinces: Haiphong, Hai Duong, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Hue.
The families of the victims would have to pay for the repatriation of the bodies, costing up to £2,208 pounds ($2,832.86), according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
The statement, dated November 14, said the Vietnamese government would advance the payment, which families could repay later.
The discovery of the bodies in a container on an industrial estate in Grays has shone a spotlight on the illicit trade that sends the poor of Asia, Africa and the Middle East on perilous journeys to the West.
Agencies contributed to this report
