At least 9 fatalities: vessel overturns in the waterway dividing Serbia and Bosnia
In a unfortunate boat mishap on the Drina river boundary between Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, at least nine individuals perished. Following Thursday's early-morning incident, various individuals went missing, as reported by Bosnian emergency services. This boat, holding approximately two dozen migrants, capsized nearby the Serbian border town of Ljubovija.
Search teams and divers, as reported by emergency services, discovered nine lifeless bodies. Initially, the authorities were unable to provide details regarding the victims' nationalities. However, eighteen individuals, including three minors, successfully swam to safety, as per the police.
Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina fall under the famed Balkan route for migrants aiming for the European Union. Recently, a majority of migrants, primarily hailing from Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, Morocco, and Pakistan, have been traversing this Balkan route, according to official statistics. The number of migrants journeying through Serbia has drastically reduced in recent months, with the Serbian government reporting only approximately 10,400 unauthorized entries in the first half of the year, representing a nearly 70% decrease compared to the same period the previous year.
The European Union, being the ultimate destination for many migrants, has been closely monitoring the situation in the Balkan region. Despite a significant decrease in migrant entries into Serbia this year, the incident on the Drina river underscores the risks these individuals face during their journey.
