The body of a man discovered at the Polish-Belarusian border is thought to be that of a migrant. No documents were found with the body.
The man's body found last week has yet to be identified, but Polish investigators looking into the case believe he was probably a migrant who had crossed the border from Belarus. The body was found by workers carrying out maintenance on a dam near the town Lipszczany in eastern Poland, reported the Spanish news agency EFE.
The man was described as "dark-skinned" by Polish news agency PAP. The prosecutor’s office reported that no documents or luggage were found with the body but there had been a broken phone nearby, as well as some pieces of paper with phone numbers on them.
Wojciech Piktel, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, told local Tok FM radio that the discoveries had brought authorities closer to identifying the deceased person.
An autopsy revealed no physical injuries, PAP reported. "The man most likely died from hypothermia," the prosecutor was quoted as saying. Initial findings indicated that the dead man was between 20 and 25 years old.
The weather in the region is currently around freezing, with snow forecast in some parts this weekend.
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Border guard continues to register crossing attempts daily
Piotr Czaban, a spokesperson for the Voluntary Humanitarian Emergency Service in Podlaskie (POPH), first announced the discovery of the body on social media, reported EFE. The discovery was then later confirmed by the Polish border guard.
According to Katarzyna Zdanowicz, a spokesperson for the Polish border guard, the man’s body serves to "once again highlight the migration crisis experienced on the border between Poland and Belarus."
On Monday, the border guard noted at least 45 attempts to enter Poland via Belarus. Between November 29 and December 1, more than 100 crossing attempts were recorded in the Podlaskie region. There was also a confrontation reported by the border guard between their officers and a group of migrants.
"Stones and branches were thrown at the services. A service vehicle was damaged," the border guard wrote on the social media platform X.
Last week, on November 28, the Polish border guard also took part in a EUROPOL (European police agency) common action day. In the Bug River and Podlaskie region, border guards arrested 25 people suspected of organizing "illegal migration attempts."
With EFE and PAP
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