Column trucks – illustrative photo.
Sofia – Today, 18 dead migrants were found in a parked truck near the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The vehicle loaded with wood was apparently carrying dozens of refugees, some of whom were taken to hospital for medical treatment. According to the police, there is no indication that it was a traffic accident. The drivers of the truck fled the scene, the police are searching for them, Bulgarian media reported.
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“According to initial information, the truck was carrying illegal migrants, about 40 people in total, who were hidden in a hiding place under the transported wood. So far 18 of them have died. Some of the survivors are being taken to the hospital,” Bulgarian media quoted the Ministry of the Interior as saying.
The accident happened near the village of Lokorsko, which is located on the Sofia highway ring. Local residents alerted the police to a parked vehicle and a group of people near it. The exact causes of the migrants' deaths are being investigated. According to the 24 Časa server, the refugees were crushed by the loosened trunks, while sources from the BNT station, on the other hand, claim that the migrants suffocated. According to the station BTV, 14 migrants remain in a serious condition.
Bulgaria lies on the route that migrants mainly from the Middle East and Afghanistan use to enter the countries of the European Union. At the same time, most of the refugees do not plan to stay in the poorest EU member state, but try to get to the richer countries of Western Europe with the help of elaborate networks of smugglers. Bulgaria has strengthened controls on its southern border with Turkey and across the country to combat the growing influx of migrants and prove it is capable of properly guarding the European Union's external border.
