Hungary takes over case of death of 71 migrants from Austria

BUDAPEST: Hungary has agreed to take over the criminal proceedings in the case of five individuals charged in the deaths of 71 migrants found in a lorry on an Austrian highway in August, the Hungarian Chief Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Wednesday.



Hungarian police arrested the five people - four Bulgarians and an Afghani - days after the people were found dead, highlighting the treacherous journeys that hundreds of thousands crossing the Mediterranean and the Balkans have faced this year.



Faced with the biggest flow of migrants since World War II, Hungary has erected a steel barrier along its southern border, diverting the migrant flow toward Croatia and Slovenia, where thousands are still passing through every day.