North Macedonia: Car carrying 16 migrants crashes, 4 injured

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — A car packed with 16 Syrian migrants crashed while trying to avoid a police roadblock in North Macedonia and four of its occupants were injured, authorities said Friday.

A police statement said the accident occurred on a highway near the northern border with Serbia late Thursday. A man from North Macedonia was arrested on suspicion of driving the vehicle.

The four injured migrants were hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries.

North Macedonia, a tiny Balkan country of 1.8 million, is on a major route used by migrants from the Mideast and Asia to reach wealthier European countries — often after paying large sums to smuggling gangs. Most enter illegally from Greece.

Two weeks ago, 35 people were injured when a truck carrying Syrian migrants overturned in North Macedonia.

___

Follow AP’s global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration