ZAGREB, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Five people drowned in the Kupa River in western Croatia, on the border with Slovenia, and five others were rescued, police said Friday.
Police received a call at 3:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) reporting that a large group of people believed to be migrants had been spotted in the river near the border area of Damalj.
When police arrived at the scene, an officer jumped into the river and, with the help of local residents and another police officer, rescued five foreign nationals. Fourteen managed to cross the river and are now in Slovenia.
A criminal investigation is underway. Police officers, assisted by firefighters, continued searching the area. The nationalities of the victims are not yet known.
Croatia, a southeastern European country that joined the European Union (EU) in 2013 and the Schengen area in 2023, lies along a route used by migrants from the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Migrants frequently attempt to cross from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia before continuing toward Slovenia and other wealthier EU countries in Western and Northern Europe.
The Kupa River forms part of the natural border between Croatia and Slovenia and has become a particularly dangerous crossing point. ■