Two migrants drown while trying to illegally enter Croatia from Bosnia

Two people have died and eleven have had to be hospitalized after the boat they were trying to use to enter Croatia from Bosnia and Herzegovina capsized this Thursday while crossing the Sava River, the fire department and a hospital reported.

Although three deaths were initially reported, the latest official reports confirm that among the 13 occupants of the boat, six men and seven women, one died by drowning in the river and another already in the hospital.

The police received an alert that a vessel had capsized in that border river near the city of Slavonski Brod, about 180 kilometers east of Zagreb.

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The rescued have been hospitalized due to the hypothermia they have suffered. The authorities have not provided details about the nationality of the immigrants. A citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been arrested in connection with this event, according to the Police. According to official data, in the first five months of 2025 there were 4,761 illegal border crossings into Croatia, representing a decrease of 52% compared to the previous year.