Ministry of Interior: The migrants found dead in Strandzha died from exhaustion

The bodies of five deceased illegal migrants have now been found in the Strandzha region, believed to have been part of the same group as they were found in close proximity. Their ages are estimated to be between 17 and 25 years old. Caretaker Minister of Interior, Atanas Ilkov, on January 6 said that there were no signs of violence, with the cause of death being frostbite and excessive consumption of energy drinks.

Establishing the exact age of the deceased is difficult as they were found without identification documents. However, one of the bodies has already been identified at the Burgas morgue by a cousin. In an earlier interview with BNT, the relative explained that 16-year-old Ahmad from Egypt was trying to reach Italy, where his brother lives.

"They found them following a tip-off. As far as I understand from the 'Border Police', when relatives cross into Bulgaria and pass through country, they report the location of a body if the person died while traveling with them or if the person was left behind because he/she couldn't continue," explained Dr. Galina Mileva, head of the Forensic Medicine Department at the egenral hospital in Burgas.

One of the three migrants initially reported by the "Mission Wings" Foundation died due to a pulmonary embolism, while the others from hypothermia. Their deaths occurred 36 hours before they were found on December 29. Caretaker Minister of Interior, Ilkov emphasized that there was no evidence of violence.

"These migrants in the Sredets area died from exhaustion and hypothermia, likely exacerbated by the excessive consumption of energy drinks during their journey. The terrain in Strandzha Mountain is extremely harsh. But I can categorically state that there was no violence against the migrants. Such claims are speculation," Ilkov said.

Ilkov also dismissed claims that the police did not provide assistance following the initial reports of deceased migrants. However, once the bodies are found, they often remain at the Burgas hospital morgue for extended periods, as only a few cases are claimed by relatives.

"In the summer of 2023, when we had around 36-40 migrants pass through our ward, it was a tragedy. There was simply no space to store them," said Dr. Galina Mileva.

Some of the deceased were buried by authorities after the conclusion of the investigations, while 17 bodies remain in the Burgas morgue, with one of them having been there for two years.