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Driver of Polish van dies in Calais accident

PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea 20.06.2017 12:46
The driver of a Polish-registered van has died following a crash in Calais caused by a refugee blockade on Tuesday.
Rescue team and firefighters secure a perimeter near the wreckage of a burnt van following a crash on the A16 highway, near Calais, northern France. Photo: EPA/GUY DROLLET Rescue team and firefighters secure a perimeter near the wreckage of a burnt van following a crash on the A16 highway, near Calais, northern France. Photo: EPA/GUY DROLLET

The Polish foreign ministry has not confirmed the nationality of the driver, although media reports indicate that the van had Polish number plates.

The driver was killed on Tuesday when he crashed into a tail-back on a motorway near the northern French port of Calais where migrants had blocked the way with tree trunks, a local government official was reported by Reuters as saying.

The agency added that migrants stuck in the region around Calais, northern France, regularly try to stop trucks bound for Britain via Calais, throwing branches or other objects onto the road to slow or bring vehicles to a halt so that they can slip into the cargo-section and hide.

Calais and the surrounding area have become a hotbed of migrant activity in recent years with tens of thousands of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East camping there in an attempt to seek a new life in the UK.

The notorious Calais Jungle, a shanty town outside the town built by migrants, at one point housed over 8,000 people.

French authorities clamped down on the camp in late 2016, announcing it “cleared” in October. However, Reuters reported that “large numbers” of migrants have returned to the area. (rg/pk)

tags: accident
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