11 dead after car carrying migrants in Greece crashes

A car carrying migrants has collided with a truck in northern Greece – killing 11 people, police said.

Ten of the victims were believed to be migrants who crossed into the Greece from Turkey. The 11th person was the driver and a suspected migrant smuggler, police said.

Police said the car in which the migrants were packed had another vehicle’s number plates and is suspected of having been used for migrant trafficking.

The car had not stopped at a police checkpoint during its journey, but it was not immediately clear how close to the site of the crash that it happened.

Police said the crash occurred just after 5am local time near the town of Kavala.

The car, which had been heading to the main northern city of Thessaloniki, collided with a truck heading in the opposite direction and burst into flames.

All those in the car were killed. The truck driver, a 39-year-old Greek man, was treated for minor injuries in a hospital in northern Greece before being discharged.

Greek authorities have been seeing an increase in people illegally crossing the Greek-Turkish border in recent months.

Many are transported to Thessaloniki, where they head to police stations to be registered and apply for asylum.