4 Pakistani farm workers murdered in Italy

Italian police have arrested two Pakistani nationals for the murder of four Pakistani farm workers found dead in a burnt-out minivan in southern Italy, Corriere della Sera daily reported on Tuesday.

The burnt-out vehicle was found at a petrol station near the village of Amendolara in a vast farming area in the Calabria region.

CCTV images from the petrol station showed two people blocking the van’s doors from the outside and throwing liquid inside, Corriere della Sera reported citing law enforcement sources.

The images showed a fire breaking out and the two people running away, the report said.

Firefighters found the bodies inside after putting out the fire.

“This is definitely murder, we just have to work out the details,” local police chief Antonio Borelli was quoted by Corriere as saying.

The paper said there had been 14 cases of arson involving cars and minivans carrying Pakistanis in recent months in the area, where there are tensions between migrants over the division of farm work and residency papers and accommodation.