LONDON

British police said Thursday all 39 victims found dead in a truck in Essex last month have been identified and their families notified.

The identifications is an “important step in the investigation and enables us to work with our Vietnamese Police colleagues to support the families of those victims,” senior coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray said in a statement.

“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,” she said.

The statement said police continue to lead the investigation with the

Read more: 39 Vietnamese truck victims identified: UK police