The deaths of two Bulgarian boys found in a locked car in the village of Xylophagou on Sunday, June 28, have prompted widespread coverage in both Bulgarian and British media, with outlets across both countries reporting shock at the tragedy.
Bulgarian media
The story dominated Bulgarian news on Monday, covered extensively by public and private broadcasters and online outlets alike.
Online news outlet Vesti.bg was among the first to cite Philenews reporting directly, carrying quotes from Xylofagou community leader Giorgos Ioulianos, who told Philenews he was deeply shaken by the incident. Ioulianos said the father and his stepmother had left for work on Sunday morning, after which the boys are 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,” he 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 had been found by a neighbour shortly after 6pm and that SBA police and ambulance crews had responded immediately, but the children were pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.
Bulgaria’s largest private television channel bTV drew on Philenews English reporting, citing Ioulianos’s account of the boys being found in a car parked near the family’s residential building. bTV 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 Xylofagou — an area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Dhekelia British military base. BNT described the tragedy as having shaken the country.
Independent online news portal Mediapool carried detailed reporting on the circumstances, noting that preliminary findings from medical professionals indicated the boys had been exposed to extreme heat inside the locked vehicle for a prolonged period. The exact cause of death, Mediapool reported, would be established by forensic examinations and autopsies.
Bulgaria’s largest English-language online news provider, Novinite.com — also known as the Sofia News Agency — reported that a spokesperson for the British base had confirmed 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 coverage — Dhekelia SBA investigation
Because Xylophagou falls under the jurisdiction of the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area, the investigation is being handled by SBA authorities rather than the Cyprus Police, a detail highlighted by British outlets covering the story.
British commercial broadcaster LBC reported that the boys had reportedly been left in the car to sleep, citing local media. LBC noted that a British bases spokesperson confirmed officers were at the property in Xylophagou conducting inquiries into the cause of the deaths. The exact cause of death, LBC reported, had not been confirmed, but local media said the children’s bodies showed signs consistent with asphyxiation.
Dublin Live and the Mirror reported similarly, both citing local Cypriot media. Both outlets described the investigation as focusing on how the boys came to be locked inside the vehicle on a day of high temperatures.
The father and his stepmother appeared before the Dhekelia SBA court on Monday, where the SBA Criminal Investigation Department is expected to request their remand. Post-mortems on both children are to be carried out to establish the exact cause of death.
Note: The feature image has been altered to obscure the licence plates of the vehicles shown.