Three Bulgarians and an Afghan arrested in Hungary in connection with the deaths of 71 refugees found in a truck in Austria made their first appearance in court on Saturday, where they were given one month's detention to allow for an investigation, NBC News reported on Sunday

The arrests came as three young children suffering from dehydration and close to death were rescued from a van crammed with 26 refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Austrian police said on Saturday.

The two girls and a boy, ages 5 and 6, were found in a dire state when police stopped the vehicle after a chase near the Austrian town of St. Peter am Hart on the border with Germany, a police spokesman said. They are recovering in hospital.

The discovery of the 71 refugees' bodies in a truck by an Austrian motorway on Thursday caused an international outcry. Europe is grappling with a surge in migrants arriving by land or sea, fleeing violence and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

Along the way they face hardship and death. Calls are growing for a common European plan to prevent more tragedies.

Source: MENA