Four labourers killed in Cosentino: two arrests over car fire
Four labourers, three Afghans and a Pakistani, were burned to death in a car in Cosentino. Two Pakistani men have been arrested.
Four labourers killed in Cosentino: two arrests over car fire
Four seasonal workers were burned to death inside a car at a service station in the province of Cosenza. The victims, three Afghan nationals and a Pakistani, were locked inside the vehicle and set on fire. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the incident as "a horrific murder", urging a full investigation into the case.
Two men of Pakistani origin have been detained by carabinieri following an investigation coordinated by the prosecutor of Castrovillari, Alessandro D'Alessio. Footage from the surveillance system made it possible to reconstruct the sequence of events: two people allegedly blocked the car doors from the outside whilst an inflammable liquid was sprayed on the vehicle, which was then set alight. This is reported by El Mundo, citing investigative reconstructions.
Only one occupant of the car managed to escape, breaking a window and fleeing. The man, an Afghan, later told journalists that the alleged perpetrators had set the fire because the labourers were demanding payment for their work.
Meloni praised the "speed" of investigators, emphasising that Italy "will not retreat in the face of violence and barbarism". She also expressed her condolences to the families of the victims.
Prosecutor D'Alessio indicated that exploitation in the fields represents one of the lines of enquiry being followed, but clarified that "it is not the only one". "We are still investigating the context", he said at a press conference, adding that the four deceased individuals worked legally in Italy, held residence permits, and had no criminal records.
The dual arrest took place within a matter of hours thanks to recordings from the service station's security cameras, which provided decisive evidence for identifying the alleged perpetrators.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)