Nine perished after a boat carrying migrants capsized in a river between Serbia and Bosnia

18 migrants, including three children, managed to cross into Bosnia, out of 25 people who were in the boat when it overturned.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

At least nine people have died after a boat carrying migrants capsized in the Drina River, which separates Serbia and Bosnia, according to officials. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday near the Serbian border town of Ljubovija. Rescue teams recovered the bodies, while the search continues for those still missing.

Bosnian and Serbian authorities were alerted to the incident early in the morning. Of the estimated 25 people on board, 18 survivors, including three children, were found on the riverbank.

Despite ongoing search efforts, the death toll may rise further. The accident underscores the persistent dangers faced by migrants taking the perilous "Balkan route" in their attempts to reach the European Union.

Serbian police received a call around 5 a.m. from their counterparts in Bosnia and a citizen who reported the accident, said Interior Minister Ivica Dacic.

Dacic said that 18 migrants, including three children, managed to cross into Bosnia, out of 25 people who were in the boat when it overturned.

“Police and rescuers are continuing a further search of the Drina river and the surrounding terrain,” said Dacic in a statement.

Dacic said that out of 18 migrants who made it to shore, 16 are from Syria and two are from Egypt. They include 10 minors.

Migrants using the so-called Balkan land route in their efforts to reach Western Europe come to Serbia from Bulgaria or North Macedonia before moving on to Hungary, Croatia or Bosnia.

To reach wealthy European countries, people fleeing wars and poverty often turn to people smugglers to take them across borders without authorization.