On Wednesday, a van carrying more than 30 migrants overturned in southeastern Serbia. This accident, reported by state RTS television, is the second such incident to occur in recent days. The accident happened near the town of Bela Palanka, which is on the road from Pirot to Nis, close to the Bulgarian border.
Just last week, another van carrying around 50 migrants overturned at the same location. Both of these accidents have resulted in many injuries. In the most recent incident, at least 20 people were hurt, and some of them sustained serious injuries.
Serbia is a crucial point on the Balkan migration route. Smugglers often assist migrants in crossing borders illegally as they try to reach Western Europe. Migrants usually enter Serbia from either Bulgaria or North Macedonia. From there, they travel north and west towards Hungary or Croatia. They are often packed tightly into vans or cars for these journeys.
This migration route is known to be very dangerous, as shown by the recent accidents. The injured migrants are currently receiving medical attention. However, these incidents highlight the ongoing risks that migrants face in their search for a better life in Western Europe.