Britain IDs 39 Vietnamese dead in truck

LONDON — U.K. police say they have formally identified the 39 people found dead in a container truck in southeastern England and notified their families.

The authorities said Thursday that they’ve been working with Vietnamese police and the coroner to identify the bodies that were found Oct. 23 in the back of a truck in an industrial park in the English town of Grays.

“It is only right that we provide an opportunity for family members to take in the news confirming the death of their loved ones before releasing any further information,” said Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith.

Police last week said all of the victims were Vietnamese citizens.

British police have charged 25-year-old Maurice Robinson from Northern Ireland with 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. They say he drove the cab of the truck to the English port of Purfleet, where it picked up the container, which had arrived by ferry from the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium.

Three other people have been released on bond pending further investigation in the case.

In Ireland, a 22-year-old man was arrested on a British warrant. Several other suspects have been arrested in Vietnam.