Albania is a route for some migrants heading to the EU. Eight people, including seven migrants, died after the car they were in went off a mountain road and fell into the Vjosa River in southeastern Albania, Euronews notes.
Authorities said the driver failed to stop at a checkpoint and sped off. According to regional police chief Ardian Cipa, officers followed the car and later saw it crash into the river about 240 kilometers southeast of the capital Tirana.
The driver is believed to have lost control of the car and veered into the river around 4am local time.
“It is suspected that the driver is from Shkodra, and the others are suspected to be migrants who frequently pass this road,” said Cipa.
A police statement said seven of the victims were suspected to be “from third countries”, a description often used to refer to migrants.
Albania itself is not a main route for migrants, but small groups from Arab or Asian countries use it to reach Italy by sea or other neighboring countries by land. The region is a transit hub and a key corridor for migrants heading to the EU, particularly from the Middle East, Asia and Africa, according to the European Council.
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