Bulgaria to extradite man arrested in connection with 71 refugees found dead in lorry
BULGARIA will extradite a man arrested in connection with 71 refugees found dead in an abandoned truck on an Austrian motorway.
Bulgaria will extradite a man arrested in connection with 71 dead refugees found in a truck
Tsvetan Tsvetanov, 32, is suspected of being one of the drivers of the lorry found with decomposing bodies, including a baby girl, inside.
Three Bulgarians and an Afghan were arrested by Hungarian police on August 28 in connection with the tragedy.
Tsvetanov's extradition to Austria has already been postponed twice by Bulgarian authorities.
Bulgarian prosecutors have charged him with being part of an organised crime group.
Tsvetanov, who denies any wrongdoing, was held for 72 hours under a European arrest warrant at his home in Lom on August 31.
The lorry containing the dead refugees had been abandoned on a motorway in Austria
Austrian police said all those on board appeared to have suffocated
The lorry containing the dead refugees had been abandoned on the hard shoulder of Austria's A4 motorway near Parndorf.
Austrian police said all those on board appeared to have suffocated and died before they entered the country.
Police said of the 71 dead, 59 were men, eight women and four children, including a baby girl.
Just drove past truck on A4 in Austria with 50 dead refugees inside. Terrible smell of death as we passed. pic.twitter.com/a2AiDnsy5V
— Lindsey Hilsum (@lindseyhilsum) August 27, 2015
Smugglers are criminals. They have no interest in the welfare of refugees. Only profit
It is thought the truck had been standing on the highway for a day before the authorities were alerted.
Officers made the grim discovery after an employee mowing the grass contacted the police after noticing putrid liquid dripping from the back of the white refrigerated vehicle.
Lindsey Hilsum of Channel 4 News tweeted that the “smell of death” at the scene was overwhelming.
Police then towed the vehicle to a nearby hall and began removing the bodies.
71 'Syrians' dead in Austria truck tragedy
Austria's interior minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner denounced traffickers as criminals after the horrifying discovery.
He said: "This tragedy is a concern for us all. Smugglers are criminals. They have no interest in the welfare of refugees. Only profit.”
A baby girl was among the 71 dead