71 Dead Refugees Found in Truck on Austria Highway: Officials

The number of migrants found dead in a truck abandoned on the side of a highway in Austria has reached 71, Austrian officials said Friday, NBC News reported.

The victims were 59 men, eight women and four children — including a girl who was no older than two years of age, according to Burgenland Police director Hans Peter Doskozil.

Meanwhile, three suspects believed to be involved in people smuggling have been arrested in connection with the case, and at least one other individual is being hunted, authorities confirmed. 

Police originally thought up to 50 refugees had died inside the vehicle, which had been parked up on the shoulder of the busy road, 10 miles from Austria's border with Slovakia and Hungary.

The war in Syria has contributed to record numbers of migrants attempting to cross into Europe from Africa and the Middle East this year, often taking perilous sea crossings and stowing away in trucks.

Contact Us