Overview
- Firefighters found four charred bodies inside a minivan at a petrol station near Amendolara after a blaze that investigators now treat as deliberate homicide.
- Police have detained two Pakistani nationals after surveillance footage shown on Italian media reportedly captured suspects blocking the van’s doors, pouring a liquid inside, and fleeing as it ignited.
- A sole survivor, identified in reports as Taj Mohammad Alamyar, said he escaped through the boot and told investigators the group had argued over transport money and unpaid wages.
- Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the victims’ nationalities while several outlets report the dead included three Afghans and one Pakistani and Pakistan’s embassy is in contact with Italian officials.
- The case has renewed focus on Calabria’s widespread labour abuses, including the gangmaster system that leaves seasonal workers off the books, and follows reports of roughly 14 recent arson attacks on vehicles used by migrant labourers.