An immigrant ship in the Drina River is being found 18 persons, another 7 are being requested

Today, around 05 a.m., border police in lyubov were informed by the border authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also by citizens, who at night a ship of immigrants has sunk in Drina. They were trying to cross the river from Serbia from the town of Drelaca in the municipality of lyuboví and Orlic in the Zvornik municipality”, Dacic said, according to the announcement.

Shortly after this announcement, police members and the Department for Emergency Situations went to the scene and search is being conducted in the river, Serbian authorities said.

According to immigrants who went ashore, there were reportedly 25 persons on the shipwreck. Police, firefighters and rescue teams found 18 people on the shore, including three children, the Serbian MP said.

Serbian authorities said Serb police officers, members of the Emergy Situations Department, members of the dive in Serbia's Gendarmerie, are participating, but also officials from Bosnia.

Serbia is part of the “Balkan path” through which migrants pass to move towards Western Europe.

In the last ten years, at least 40 immigrants have lost their lives on the Drina River as they tried to pass it, according to Radio Free Europe data until February 2024.

Last year, more than 100,000 immigrants have passed through Serbia, or 12 percent less than in 2022, according to data from the Serbian Commissioner for Refugees and Migration.

From this commissioners said on August 2nd that the number of migrants who have passed through Serbia this year is 80 percent lower than in 2023. / REL