71 people suffocated to death in a truck in Austria

On the afternoon of August 28, investigators of the tragedy in which a truck full of refugees was found suffocated to death on the A4 highway, near the Austrian capital Vienna, released detailed information related to this heartbreaking incident.

A truck carrying the bodies of migrants decomposes inside a truck on a highway in Austria. Photo: AFP

A VNA correspondent in Europe reported at a press conference in Vienna attended by investigators, police and Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner that police discovered 71 bodies of refugees believed to be from Syria, including 59 men, 8 women and 4 children, in a refrigerated truck left on the side of the road.

The car was abandoned on the A4 on August 26 and was discovered by police a day later. The mastermind of the smuggling operation is a Bulgarian of Lebanese origin. There are also two other suspects, one a Bulgarian national and one with a Bulgarian identity card, but their nationality is unknown. All three have been arrested for investigation.

According to initial information, authorities believe there were about 50 bodies of refugees inside a truck.

Speaking at a press conference, Minister Mikl-Leitner called it "a sad day" and affirmed that she would be determined with the strongest measures to fight illegal immigration. According to her, those who smuggle immigrants are criminals, not helping immigrants. The Austrian female Minister also welcomed the timely coordination of Austrian and Hungarian authorities to quickly arrest the leaders of the smuggling that caused this sad tragedy.

Meanwhile, at a press conference, the director of the police in the Austrian state of Burgenland, Mr. Hans-Peter Doskozil, said that behind this smuggling was a human smuggling ring linked between Bulgaria and Hungary, an organized crime structure. He also said that the refrigerated truck had no ventilation system and that it was possible that the people on board had suffocated. The police also said that the victims could be Syrian refugees because investigators discovered some Syrian documents among the evidence at the scene.

The incident has shaken not only Austria but also Europe, a region that is facing a refugee crisis. German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed shock at the incident on August 27. According to her, the European Union needs to speed up the search for a comprehensive solution to the current migration crisis.

According to TT&VH