Two men are in custody tonight after a minivan fire in southern Italy left four migrant farm workers dead, sources confirm. The blaze tore through the vehicle on a rural road near Foggia, a region notorious for exploiting undocumented labour. The victims, all agricultural workers from sub-Saharan Africa, were trapped inside as flames consumed the van.
Police arrested the driver and another suspect on charges of multiple manslaughter and arson. Investigators say the fire may have been started deliberately, possibly to destroy evidence of the workers’ illegal transport. The tragedy has reignited fury over Italy’s caporalato system, where gangs control the black market for farm labour.
The bodies have been recovered. The investigation is ongoing.
