A man was arrested on Monday on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese nationals that were found in a refrigerated lorry container in October in Essex in southeast England.

It's reported that the 36-year-old man, from Purfleet in Essex, remains in custody.

The arrest, the latest police move as a result of an ongoing investigation into the deaths of 31 males and eight females, came after Christopher Kennedy, 23, was charged on Sunday with human trafficking offences. 

Kennedy, from County Armagh in Northern Ireland, was arrested in the early hours of Friday morning on the M40. He appeared in Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Monday and spoke only to give his name, age, address and nationality.

Also on Monday, Maurice Robinson, the 25-year-old British truck driver who was the first to be arrested after the incident, admitted being part of an international smuggling ring.

He was charged with the manslaughter of all those on board the lorry as well as with allegations of people trafficking, breaking immigration laws and money laundering.

Another man from Northern Ireland was charged with human trafficking offences last week.

Meanwhile, extradition proceedings have also been launched in the Republic of Ireland to bring suspect Eamonn Harrison, 22, from Mayobridge in Newry, Co Down, to the UK, according to media reports. 

Harrison was arrested on unrelated charges in Dublin in October, and has been held in the Irish capital since then.

(With input from Xinhua)