Dead bodies of 18 Afghan migrants transferred

KABUL (Khaama Press): Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday in a statement announced that the dead bodies of 18 Afghan migrants who were found in an abandoned truck near the village of Lokorsko outside the capital city of Sofia in Bulgaria in February were transferred to Kabul.
The ministry added the bodies were transferred through the state-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines and then moved to their respective places via special ambulances.
The spokesperson’s office of the ministry of foreign affairs of the Islamic Emirate stated the reasons for the prolonged delays in shifting the bodies liked to the Bulgarian court’s decision and the “harsh” bank sanctions to transfer money to the companies involved in carrying the bodies to Afghanistan.
The ministry further added that the government has covered the expenses of carrying the bodies and handing them to their families. The Taliban authorities have repeatedly called on the people of Afghanistan to avoid risking their lives by taking illegal pathways and dealing with human traffickers to reach Europe and other destinations.
It is believed that 18 Afghan migrants had died of suffocation and were found in an abandoned truck near the village of Lokorsko outside the capital city of Sofia on February 17.
Following the incident, Bulgarian authorities arrested at least seven suspects while smugglers had already fled the area after noticing the scene. The incident is reported to be the deadliest case of smuggled migrants in Bulgaria over the years, according to the Bulgarian officials.