7 killed in suspected migrant smuggling road accident in Germany

At least seven people were killed and several others injured in a traffic accident involving a suspected migrant smuggling van in the German state of Bavaria, the police said.

The crowded van, which had more than 20 people inside, overturned early Friday while trying to evade police.

All occupants, including children, were at least slightly wounded, with some of them suffering serious injuries. Many were said to have not been wearing seatbelts.

The injured were taken to nearby hospitals.

The incident took place on Germany's A94 motorway near the Ampfing/Waldkraiburg junction, near the Austrian border.

The van had attracted the attention of federal police patrols. The driver accelerated sharply in an attempt to avoid police checks when the accident occurred.

Emergency services vehicles and the fire brigade were on the scene.

The road towards Munich was completely closed.

The public prosecutor's office said an investigation has been opened into possible homicide.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced in late September that Germany would be increasing police checks on known "trafficking routes" in a bid to crack down on migrants entering the country.

The need for action in migration and asylum policy has been pointed out for months by the states and municipalities, which have been sounding the alarm about the lack of accommodation for the growing number of people seeking to stay in Germany.

The tone in the migration debate in Germany has been getting sharper for weeks. The states see themselves at the breaking point and criticize the federal government for unresolved issues, demanding that immigration be managed and controlled.

Asylum applications have been on the rise in Europe as a whole, with Germany seeing a 74% increase in the number of applications compared to the same period last year, according to the EU Asylum Agency EUAA.