Relatives carry the casket bearing the body of Nguyen Van Hung on arrival at Dien Chau district, Nghe An province on Wednesday after being repatriated from Britain. Photo: AFP

The first remains of the 39 people found dead in a truck in Britain last month arrived in Vietnam early Wednesday, capping a weeks-long wait by families eager to bury them.

Sixteen bodies arrived on a Vietnam Airlines commercial flight from London to Hanoi, where they were met at the airport by waiting ambulances and security personnel.

They were quickly shuttled away en route to their home provinces in central Vietnam, where relatives anxiously awaited their arrival.

"We have been waiting for this moment for very long time. We will organize the funeral as soon as he's returned," said Vo Van Binh, whose son Vo Van Linh was among the victims.

"We are very sad but happy as finally my son is back," he said from central Ha Tinh province, where the family had gathered awaiting the arrival of Linh's body.

An airport security source earlier confirmed that 16 bodies had arrived on the flight and would be transferred to local authorities.

All 16 were from three provinces in central Vietnam, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh,  according to a letter confirming the repatriation plans.

The other remains are expected to arrive in the coming days, though officials have not announced the schedule.

The bodies of 31 men and eight women were discovered in a refrigerated lorry in an industrial state in Essex, east of London, on October 23.

Police initially identified the victims as Chinese, but families in Vietnam later came forward with fears their relatives were on the truck.

They have been suspended in grief for weeks waiting for their relatives' return, and many have taken out hefty loans from the government to cover the cost of repatriation.

Families were given two options for repatriation: $1,774 to bring back ashes, or $2,858 for the cost of a coffin carrying the body.

Several families said they were already deep in debt after borrowing money to pay for their children's risky journey overseas, and did not know how they would repay the loans.  

Authorities in Vietnam encouraged relatives to opt for ashes "to ensure speed, low cost and sanitation safety," but many paid more for the bodies so they could carry out traditional burials.

Cremation is rare in the Vietnam countryside, where many of the victims were from.

Ten of the victims were teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, and the majority of the group came from Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

On Monday, the Northern Irish driver of the truck, 25-year-old Maurice Robinson, pleaded guilty to conspiring to assist illegal immigration.