A Chinese national is reported to have died after a boat carrying at least 10 people capsized in the Danube River separating Serbia and Croatia. The group of migrants from China was reportedly trying to cross the river border irregularly when the incident occurred.
Serbian police said that the accident in the Danube took place on the evening of October 5 in the village of Plavna located near the Serbian town of Backa Palanka.
The region is situated roughly 120 kilometers northwest of the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
Serbian rescuers have recovered one body and succeeded in pulling out four others who had also tumbled into the water of the river, which runs for over 2,850 kilometers from central to eastern Europe.
Rescuers from the Croatian side meanwhile found three men and two women.
Local news sources covered the event extensively.
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More victims could yet be found
All of the people on board the small boat were Chinese nationals, local police sources said.
It is unclear yet if there are any more victims yet to surface; at the time of the police statements made on October 7, the search operation was still ongoing, involved the use of boats and drones.
Serbian police said that they have launched an investigation into the event, adding that it is assumed to have involved people trafficking activities.
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Balkan Route continues to draw irregular migrants
Migrants continue to attempt dangerous crossings from Serbia — a non-EU member — into Croatia, which joined the bloc in 2013.
Both nations are located on the so-called Balkan route, which brings migrants from eastern parts of Europe towards Western Europe.
To date this year, nearly 8,000 migrants are thought to have used the Balkan route, according to the EU's external border agency Frontex.
According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), at least 413 people have died on this migrant route since 2014.
A rise in Chinese migrants heading to Europe
Amid a spike in social turmoil and instability in certain parts of China — the second most populous country in the world — there have been more Chinese nationals trying to leave the country using irregular means of travel, in hopes of reaching Europe.
A growing number of Chinese nationals have been arriving in eastern and in central Europe, reports AP.
At the same time, there are also more Chinese nationals migrating to Europe legally, as China has been investing more heavily in infrastructure and tech projects in Europe in recent years, requiring local and Chinese staff to work together.
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with AP, AFP, Reuters