Migrants kill 4 farm workers in fire after trapping them inside van | World | News

Italian police have arrested two Pakistani nationals for the murder of four migrant farm workers who were trapped inside a minivan and burned to death, according to Italian media reports. The burnt-out vehicle was discovered at a petrol station near a village in Calabria’s agricultural region in southern Italy.

CCTV footage showed two individuals blocking the van’s doors from the outside before pouring liquid inside and setting the vehicle on fire. Firefighters responded to the burning van about 11am GMT on Tuesday. Once the flames were extinguished, they found four charred bodies inside.

A fifth man, an Afghan migrant, survived the attack by smashing a window and escaping.

He told Italian media that the victims were three Afghans and one Pakistani, all agricultural workers.

The survivor said the killings stemmed from a dispute in which the two suspects demanded money for transportation from the group, who refused to pay.

He also claimed the workers had not been paid for their labour in the region’s strawberry fields, though they had received food and lodging.

Local authorities noted 14 previous arson attacks on cars and minivans carrying Pakistanis in the area in recent months, amid rising tensions between migrant groups competing over farm work and accommodation.

The two Pakistani suspects were arrested based on the CCTV evidence.

The brutal killings have sparked outrage across Italy. Calabria regional president Roberto Occhiuto described the attack as “inhuman” and said it “shakes faith in humanity.”

The CGIL union called for urgent action to address the exploitation and “abominations” faced daily by migrant workers in the countryside.