A van packed with migrants overturned in central Croatia early Saturday, killing two people and injuring 25 others, some seriously, police and medical officials reported.
The accident occurred around 1 a.m. near Peklenica, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Zagreb, when a police patrol spotted the van with German license plates.
“The driver accelerated when officers attempted to stop the vehicle,” said police spokesperson Marta Kovacic. “After a brief pursuit, the van veered off the road, hitting a concrete bridge, a house, and a power pole before overturning in a ditch.”
Dr. Ivan Horvat from the nearby Čakovec hospital told state broadcaster HRT that nine individuals were seriously injured. “We’re treating patients from Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Palestine,” Horvat said. “Some require immediate surgery due to the severity of their injuries.”
This incident underscores the perilous journeys undertaken by migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It follows a similar accident in Croatia last September that injured 14 people.
“These tragedies highlight the desperate measures people take to reach safety and opportunity,” said Maria Nyman, Director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. “It also exposes the dangerous tactics employed by human smugglers.”
Migrants often rely on smugglers to cross borders without authorization, frequently traveling in overcrowded and unsafe conditions. The European Union has struggled to develop a comprehensive approach to migration, leaving many to attempt risky journeys.
