The Number of Victims of Migrants' Truck in Austria Reaches 'Over 70'

While a newspaper reports the arrest of three individuals in connection with the deaths of illegal migrants in a truck, the Austrian Ministry of the Interior announced on Friday that the number of victims from this truck is 'over 70'. According to Reuters, citing the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, the truck full of bodies was found abandoned on one of the highways, carrying more than 70 corpses. Earlier on Thursday, September 5th, when the news of this truck's discovery was released, Austrian officials had reported the number of bodies in the vehicle to be between 20 and 50. At that time, these officials also stated that 'it seems' the victims in this truck had suffocated. The reason for this discrepancy and ambiguity in the number of victims appears to be that 'the bodies are decomposing, and it is currently impossible to estimate their exact number'. Reuters reported on Friday that the Austrian police are expected to announce the exact number of victims in a few hours. Meanwhile, the agency cites an Austrian newspaper stating that three individuals have been arrested in Hungary in connection with this case. The truck full of bodies of illegal migrants found in Austria had entered the country from Hungary. The Austrian newspaper Kron reported the arrest of these three individuals on its website but did not provide a source for its report. In this context, a spokesperson for the Austrian Ministry of the Interior stated that he cannot confirm the newspaper's report. In recent months, a wave of illegal migrants, especially from Syria, has surged towards Europe, turning into a major crisis. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, and leaders of Balkan countries gathered in Vienna on Thursday to discuss this crisis. In this regard, Merkel and Balkan leaders are discussing the refugee crisis.