05.06.2026 02:00
In the town of Amendolara in southern Italy, the doors of a minibus carrying migrant workers were locked from the outside and set on fire. In this horrific massacre linked to the agricultural mafia, four farm workers of Pakistani and Afghan nationality were burned alive, while one worker managed to escape through the flames by breaking the rear window.
Italy was shaken by a bloodcurdling execution that took place on June 1 in Amendolara, a quiet agricultural town in the country's south. At a gas station in the town of about 3,000 people, a minibus carrying migrant workers was set on fire.
THEY BURNED 4 MIGRANT FARMWORKERS ALIVE IN THE VEHICLE
Examining security camera footage, security forces determined that two attackers poured fuel on the minibus where the workers were inside. It was found that the murderers tightly held the minibus doors from the outside to prevent the workers inside from escaping the flames. In this brutal attack, four young farmworkers named Ismet, Fazal, Vasim, and Safi, nationals of Afghanistan and Pakistan, were burned alive.
HE BROKE THE WINDOW AND JUMPED THROUGH THE FLAMES
The only person who managed to survive this inferno with severe injuries was 35-year-old Taj A. Taj A. managed to survive by breaking the minibus's rear window and throwing himself out through the flames.
IS THE 'NDRANGHETA AGRICULTURAL MAFIA BEHIND IT?
In the region where the massacre occurred and where citrus fruits and strawberries are heavily harvested, a harsh system based on the exploitation of undocumented migrant workers is in operation. It is known that the hourly wages of these workers across the country do not even exceed 3 Euros.
It has been reported that in this system, intermediaries called "Capos," who hire low-wage workers, play a role. Authorities announced that the two attackers who carried out the massacre were Pakistani "Capos." It is being investigated that the murders are connected to the 'Ndrangheta, one of Italy's most powerful criminal organizations.
"THEY TRIED TO TEACH A LESSON TO SHOW THAT ORDERS CANNOT BE QUESTIONED"
Taj A., who survived the massacre and is receiving treatment in the hospital, summarized the reason for the murderous attack they suffered with these words: "We were sleeping on the floor in a farmhouse. We were supposed to receive 45 Euros daily. We asked for our money every day, but they always made excuses. Moreover, they deducted 10 Euros daily for transportation to work. On the day of the incident, when we asked for our money once again, a fight broke out among us. They wanted to teach us a lesson. They tried to show all the farmworkers in the region that given orders can never be questioned."