Vice President of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic said that this morning the Border Authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina informed the Border Police of Ljubovi that a boat with illegal migrants overturned in the Drina River during the night.
Migrants from Serbia tried to cross the river between Drlača in the municipality of Ljubovija and Orlica in the municipality of Zvornik.
“This morning, around 5:00 a.m., the Border Police of Ljubovi was informed by the Border Authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as by a local resident, that a boat with illegal migrants, who tried to cross the river from Serbia between the town of Drlač, capsized during the night on the Drina in the municipality of Ljubovija and Orlice in the municipality of Zvornik,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia announced, reports Nova.rs.
Immediately after the report, members of the police and the Department for Emergency Situations were sent to the scene of the accident, and the river and the coast are currently being intensively searched.
According to the migrants who reached the shore, there were about 25 people in the boat, and the police and firefighters-rescuers found 18 people on the shore, three of whom were children, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia.
“In addition to members of the Police Station Ljubovija and the Department for Emergency Situations, members of the Border Police Station Ljubovija and the Regional Border Police Center towards BiH are also participating in the search, and the arrival of members of the Diving Unit of the Gendarmerie of the MUP of Serbia is also expected in order to find other irregular migrants,” he said.