In Bratunac, Bosnia-Herzegovina, a tragic incident occurred involving a boat carrying migrants that capsized in the Drina River, which serves as the border between Serbia and Bosnia. Serbian police reported the recovery of a man’s body from the river on Friday, bringing the total number of confirmed drownings to 11 from the previous day’s accident.

The individual was identified as an “irregular migrant” discovered on the Bosnian side of the river, according to Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Da?i?. Authorities have reason to believe that this recovered body is the final missing person from the boat disaster that occurred on Thursday.

The ill-fated boat had been transporting approximately 25 to 30 migrants when it overturned on the Drina River on Thursday. Tragically, the bodies of 10 individuals, including a mother and her infant, were recovered from the river the same day, while 18 people managed to make it safely to shore.

The victims were predominantly from Syria, with additional individuals from Egypt and Iraq, as stated by Minister Da?i?. Efforts are underway by Serbian law enforcement to identify and prosecute the individuals responsible for organizing the illegal journey of these migrants.

Vladan Rankic, who led the search and rescue operation, highlighted the perilous nature of crossing the Drina River due to unpredictable water levels caused by nearby hydropower plants. He emphasized the extreme hazards associated with such attempts, especially during nighttime navigation, cautioning against the risks posed by unfamiliarity with the river’s conditions.

Migrants utilizing the Balkan land route to access Western European countries typically pass through Serbia from Bulgaria or North Macedonia before proceeding to Hungary, Croatia, or Bosnia. Facing adversities stemming from conflict and poverty in their home countries, many entrust their fate to human smugglers in their quest for unauthorized border crossings, exposing themselves to various threats and hardships along their migration journeys.