It was believed that the victims drowned in freezing seas after becoming stranded as they looked for cockles in Morecambe Bay, notorious for its swiftly rising tides.

The Home Office said the victims, 17 men and two women, were mostly in their teens and 20s, and had been brought to Britain illegally by a "ruthless" people-trafficking network to work on the dangerous shores.

Rescuers launched a massive hunt using helicopters and lifeboats after a group, thought to number more than 30, were reported missing Feb. 5.

The survivors included two Europeans and 14 Chinese nationals, nine of whom had requested asylum before the accident and four of whom asked for it Feb. 6.

The Japan Times Weekly: Feb. 14, 2004
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