Up to 18 individuals, including a toddler, were found dead in an abandoned truck carrying migrants in Lokorsko, Bulgaria, a village near Sofia. The Police stated that they appeared to have died from suffocation.
The Ministry of the Interior reported that “police steps were taken in connection with a report received today, around 2:15 pm, about an abandoned truck in the land of the hamlet of Lokorsko and a group of persons around it.”
According to the first reports from the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, there were roughly 40 individuals hiding there; 18 of them perished, and the survivors were transferred to hospitals for medical attention. Operational search procedures were used to locate the drivers, who, according to the sources, reportedly ran away.
“They have suffered from a lack of oxygen, their clothes are wet, they are freezing, and they obviously haven’t eaten for days,” Bulgarian Health Minister Assen Medzhidiev said.
According to local Belgurian media outlet, a child is among the 18 migrants who died in the truck that was left unattended close to the Lokorsko village’s area. Five other minors suffered injuries and were sent to the hospital for evaluation and care. According to Trud, there are no women among the migrants.
Bulgaria, a population of 7 million Balkan nation and member of the European Union, is situated along a significant route used by Middle Eastern and Afghani migrants travelling from Turkey to Europe. Few intend to stay, with the majority using Bulgaria as a transit route as they travel west.