Tragic Discovery of 18 Bodies in Abandoned Truck Sparks Investigation
Authorities in Bulgaria have detained seven individuals linked to the tragic discovery of 18 bodies, believed to be migrants, found in an abandoned truck. The police confirmed the detentions on Saturday, following the grim find made on Friday along a highway near Sofia, the capital.
The bodies were located in a hidden compartment beneath a load of lumber within the truck. Borislav Sarafov, the director of Bulgaria’s National Investigation Service, reported that all victims had succumbed to suffocation, marking this incident as the deadliest in the country involving smuggled migrants.
In addition to the deceased, police discovered 34 survivors in the vehicle, most of whom were in critical health, according to Bulgarian Health Minister Assen Medzhidiev. All individuals involved were reportedly from Afghanistan and had entered Bulgaria from Turkey, with the intention of reaching Western Europe.
Sarafov indicated that the victims had died approximately 10 to 12 hours before the truck was found, and that the smugglers had abandoned the vehicle upon realising the severity of the situation. The seven suspects were apprehended at various locations throughout Bulgaria, and investigators are working to confirm whether the truck’s driver is among them.
The investigation suggests that the suspects are part of an organised crime ring involved in smuggling migrants from the Turkish border to the Bulgaria-Serbia border, with passengers reportedly paying between 5,000 and 7,000 euros each for the dangerous journey.
Bulgaria, with a population of 7 million, is the poorest member of the European Union and is situated on a significant route for migrants from the Middle East and Afghanistan seeking entry into Europe from Turkey. Many migrants do not intend to remain in Bulgaria, using it primarily as a transit corridor to western destinations.
Despite having erected a barbed-wire fence along its 259-kilometre (161-mile) border with Turkey, Bulgaria continues to see many migrants enter the country with the assistance of local traffickers.
