Tragedy Strikes: Migrant Death Toll Rises After Drina River Capsize

At least 11 migrants have died after their boat capsized while attempting to cross the Drina river from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Rescue teams recovered multiple bodies, including a nine-month-old child and her mother. Authorities estimate 30 passengers were on board, with 18 people rescued, mostly of Syrian origin.

The death toll has risen to at least 11 after a boat carrying migrants capsized while trying to cross the Drina river from Serbia to Bosnia and Herzegovina, local media reported on Friday. Zlatan Simic, head of the local firefighters team from the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac, told the Srna news agency that an 11th body had been found after Thursday's incident.

Bosnian authorities said on Thursday the boat had overturned during an illegal border crossing, and that civil defence rescue teams, Bosnian and Serbian border police, divers and firefighters had been deployed along the river's forested banks. Rescuers retrieved a number of bodies on Thursday, including those of a nine-month-old child and her mother.

Officials could not say how many people were in the boat but Civilian Defence director Boris Trninic told Srna on Thursday that unofficial estimates put the number at 30. The Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migrations said that 18 people had been rescued, including 10 children and that six were unaccompanied minors. Most appeared to be of Syrian origin, it said.

Bosnian authorities said they had provided refuge for 15 survivors. Thousands of people from the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North Africa annually use the so-called Balkan route that runs via Turkey, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Serbia, to reach wealthy Western countries.

Many migrants cross borders with the help of networks of smugglers and accidents are frequent, officials say.

(With inputs from agencies.)