Tragic Van Accident Highlights Plight of Migrants

In central Croatia, a van carrying migrants overturned, resulting in two fatalities and 25 injuries. The accident underscores the risks migrants face as they attempt to escape conflict and poverty. The van, with German plates, crashed after being pursued by police, leading to serious injuries among the passengers.

Early Saturday morning in central Croatia, a van loaded with migrants slid off the road, overturned, and resulted in the deaths of two individuals while injuring 25 others, as confirmed by authorities.

The incident transpired near Peklenica, roughly 100 kilometers southeast of Croatia's capital, Zagreb. Croatian police, in a statement, revealed that they had initially observed the van, which bore German license plates, overnight. The driver increased speed upon the police's approach, leading to a disastrous crash.

After several kilometers, the police discovered the van overturned in a roadside ditch. It allegedly struck a concrete bridge, a house, and a power pole during the incident. Hospitals in the region reported treating nine seriously injured passengers, originating from Iraq, Turkiye, and Syria, including Palestinians. This tragedy mirrors a similar incident in September, reflecting the peril migrants endure as they flee conflicts and poverty in search of a better life.

(With inputs from agencies.)