Xylophagou, Cyprus. The deaths of two Bulgarian boys found in a locked car in Xylophagou on Sunday, June 28, prompted widespread coverage in Bulgarian and British media. Reports in both countries highlighted shock at the tragedy as SBA authorities continued their investigation.
Bulgarian media coverage
The story dominated Bulgarian news on Monday and was covered extensively by public and private broadcasters as well as online outlets.
Vesti.bg was among the first outlets to cite Philenews reporting directly, carrying comments from Xylophagou community leader Giorgos Ioulianos. He told Philenews he was deeply shaken by the incident and said the father and stepmother had left for work on Sunday morning, after which the boys were believed to have entered the vehicle.
“It appears they got into the car, locked themselves in and couldn’t get out and died from suffocation,” Ioulianos said. “It is a tragic incident that happened in our community, where two siblings from Bulgaria came to visit their father for holidays,” he added.
Vesti.bg also reported that the boys were found by a neighbour shortly after 6pm and that SBA police and ambulance crews responded immediately, but the children were pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.
Reports from broadcasters and online outlets
Bulgaria’s largest private television channel bTV cited Philenews English reporting and Ioulianos’s account that the boys were found in a car parked near the family’s residential building. It reported that the father and stepmother had left for work that morning, leaving the children alone.
Bulgaria’s public national broadcaster BNT reported that police were investigating the deaths of two boys, aged eight and ten, found in a locked car in Xylophagou, an area under the jurisdiction of the Dhekelia British military base. BNT described the tragedy as having shaken the country.
Independent online news portal Mediapool reported that preliminary findings from medical professionals indicated the boys had been exposed to extreme heat inside the locked vehicle for a prolonged period. It said the exact cause of death would be established by forensic examinations and autopsies.
Novinite.com, also known as the Sofia News Agency, reported that a spokesperson for the British base had confirmed that an intensive investigation was underway. “An intensive investigation is underway to clarify the circumstances of the tragedy,” the spokesperson said, adding that statements were being taken but no official conclusions had yet been reached.
British media focus on SBA investigation
British media reports highlighted that Xylophagou falls under the jurisdiction of the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area and that the investigation was therefore being handled by SBA authorities rather than the Cyprus Police.
British commercial broadcaster LBC reported, citing local media, that the boys had reportedly been left in the car to sleep. LBC said a British bases spokesperson confirmed that officers were at the property in Xylophagou conducting inquiries into the cause of the deaths.
LBC also reported that the exact cause of death had not been confirmed, while local media said the children’s bodies showed signs consistent with asphyxiation.
