Eleven migrants were burned alive in a car crash in Northern Greece early Saturday morning. The frontal crash between a truck and a mini van occurred short after 5:00 a.m. Saturday near the village Sarakina by the town of Kavala.
According to Greek police, the private car was heading to Thessaloniki when it collided with the truck heading to the opposite direction. Both vehicles burst into flames.
The van passengers had reportedly no time to get off the car and were burned alive.
The truck driver managed to jump off the vehicle in time and is being treated for injuries in a hospital of the area.
It was the van driver who lost control and crushed into the truck, state broadcaster ERT reported.
According to latest information, the van was moving at a very high speed on the old Egnatia road following a signal by police to halt for control.
The van had fake license plates and was involved in transfer of migrants also in the past.
Police believes that the majority of passengers in the car were migrants who had recently crossed into Greece from Turkey.
pictures via proininews.
The land road along the seashore where the crash took place is narrow and with one lane for each direction.
There has been an increase of people illegally crossing form Turkey to Greece via the Evros river, the natural border between the two countries.
12,000 people have crosses from Evros into Greece in 2018 alone.
The majority of migrants and refugees are transported to Thessaloniki, where they often camp outside police stations in order to be arrested and be able to register and apply for asylum.
