Hungarian police say they have arrested a fifth man, a Bulgarian, in connection with the deaths of 71 people who were found in an abandoned lorry in Austria.

It follows the court appearance of four men in central Hungary on Saturday. The three Bulgarians and one Afghan were ordered to be detained for a month.

Those being held are thought to be minor players in a human trafficking gang whose leaders remain at large.

Austrian police have been examining a second van which was intercepted on Friday. The 26 people found alive inside are thought to have come from Syria, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

“All of them were in a poor state of health. The police officers realised this. Three small children were in a particularly bad way. Two of them were one year old and the third one was five years old. Professional help was needed immediately and the officers informed the Red Cross,” said Austrian police spokesman David Furtner.

The van’s Romanian driver was arrested.

The influx of Syri