The District Prosecutor’s Office in Burgas has detained for up to 72 hours a Romanian citizen accused of intentionally causing the deaths of six migrants during a high-speed chase with police on Thursday night. The crash occurred near Burgas when the vehicle he was driving veered off the road and plunged into Lake Vaia.

Further reading: BREAKING: Six Migrants Killed in Bulgaria After Car Plunges Into Lake Vaya During Police Chase

According to investigators, the Romanian national, identified as S.K., was behind the wheel of a car carrying nine migrants whom he was illegally assisting to enter and transit through Bulgarian territory. Prosecutors stated that he was driving at excessive speed and ignored multiple light and sound signals from border police officers who were pursuing him in three vehicles. Despite repeated attempts to stop him, S.K. continued to flee in an effort to evade arrest.

The chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle, crossed into the oncoming lane, and slammed into a roadside billboard. The car then spun off and fell into Lake Vaia. Six of the migrants died in the crash, while others were injured. The driver survived and has now been charged both with intentionally causing the deaths of the victims and with assisting illegal border crossings.

Prosecutors are expected to request that the court impose a remand measure of “detention in custody” for the accused.

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, head of the Border Police, said earlier that the pursuit lasted 34 minutes and covered the route between Kiten and Burgas. The chase began after officers noticed the car near Yasna Polyana and attempted to pull it over for inspection. Instead, the driver accelerated, continuing toward Burgas at speeds exceeding 150 km/h.

The fatal crash occurred around 10 p.m. near Sportna Street at the entrance to Burgas. Due to the wet road surface and excessive speed, the vehicle skidded, lost control, and fell into the lake. Six passengers drowned, while the driver was rescued and taken into custody.