A young Syrian man, his wife, and their child drowned in the Drina River on the border between Serbia and Bosnia while attempting to reach Europe, fleeing war and poverty in search of a better life.
Activists on social media mourned the loss of Ahmed Ibrahim Hilal, his wife Khadija Najib Shaaban, and their daughter Lana, who drowned last Thursday on the western border of Serbia. Three other family members (two girls and a child) survived the tragedy.
Hilal was from the city of Saraqeb in the eastern countryside of Idlib. This was his second attempt to reach Europe; he had previously survived in 2018 when a migrant boat he was on sank off the coast of Cyprus.
On Thursday, officials in Bosnia and Serbia reported that at least a dozen people died after a boat carrying about 30 asylum seekers capsized in the Drina River, which separates the two countries.
Serbian authorities recovered the bodies of ten asylum seekers who perished while trying to cross the river on Serbia’s western border with Bosnia. Eighteen asylum seekers survived, including 16 Syrians and two Egyptians.
Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic initially reported that 18 migrants, including three children, managed to cross into Bosnia out of the 25 people on board when the boat capsized. However, he later stated that the death toll had reached ten, suggesting there were more migrants on board when the boat capsized.
“The body of a nine-month-old baby was found, and the baby was with his mother, whose body was recovered from the river earlier on Thursday,” Dacic said.
Bosnian emergency official Boris Trninic noted that “there were about 30 people on board, 15 of whom managed to reach safety.”
Death Journey to Europe
Syrian refugees face grave risks as they attempt to reach Europe, with the Mediterranean Sea being one of the most dangerous routes on their perilous journeys.
These risks are heightened by the use of unsafe, overcrowded, and often dilapidated boats, which increase the likelihood of drowning. These boats are typically operated by human smuggling networks that exploit refugees’ desperate need to flee their dire circumstances, with little regard for their safety.
Drowning and death are the greatest threats to these refugees, with thousands of casualties reported in the Mediterranean in recent years. Refugees often lose their lives due to deteriorating weather conditions and boats capsizing as a result of overloading or equipment failure.
The Syrian regime plays a significant role in driving Syrians to the sea, as its policies of repression, ongoing war, and economic collapse force people to flee the country in search of a haven.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
