Bulgarian police found 18 migrants dead in a secret compartment of a timber truck abandoned near Sofia, the Bulgarian Interior Ministry said on Friday.
The police swung into action shortly after 2 pm after receiving information about an abandoned truck in Lokorsko village. Said in a statement.
It added that the truck was carrying “illegal immigrants – about 40 people in total, who were concealed in specially constructed secret compartments under the transport timbers.”
Bulgaria’s health emergency center said 14 people were taken to hospital, eight of whom are in critical condition. State news agency BTA.
The ministry statement said the cause of death was unclear as the police investigation was ongoing, but that there was “no evidence of a traffic accident”.
It is being told that the driver of the truck fled.