Roundup: 14 illegal immigrants from Somalia, Afghanistan die in train accident in Macedonia

At least 14 illegal immigrants were killed in a train accident late Thursday night near the central Macedonian town Veles, 50 km south of the capital Skopje.

The group of some 50 illegal immigrants was walking on foot on the rails trying to reach Skopje and continue to neighboring Serbia, when the international train Gevgelija-Belgrade hit them, Macedonian police informed on Friday.

The railway in the area where the accident happened is entering a gorge and it was hard for them to avoid being hit by the train. The terrain is hard to access so rescuing teams also had problems to reach the injured and are still counting the casualties spreading the search to the river that runs by.

The Public Prosecution in Veles initiated an investigation of the incident. The train driver stated that he was signaling immediately after he noticed the group but he didn't manage to stop the train on time to avoid the accident.

"Eight of the group that didn't suffer any injuries were taken to a police station and the others fled the scene. According to the testimonies of the immigrants, most of them came from Somalia and Afghanistan. Through the Balkans they were trying to reach one of the Western European countries to seek an asylum," Anita Stojkovska, spokesperson for the Macedonian Ministry of Interior Sector in Veles said.

Experts say that it is a problem that is hard to address -- immigrant flow from crisis areas affects even stronger and more developed countries.

"Look what happens in Europe with these boats with immigrants in the Mediterranean. This is criminal business involving people that organize these routes," the expert in migration and security issues, professor Metodi Hadzi-Janev told Xinhua in Skopje.

"Large sums of money are involved in it so it is hard to stop these migrant transit routes with simple measures. We need different approach, one that will include regional cooperation, bilateral cooperation and funds to prevent this from happening," added Hadzi-Janev.

Large number illegal immigrants, mostly coming from countries such as Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan, enter Macedonia usually from Greece. Then they try to get to Serbia and continue to one of the Western European countries.

Only through Macedonia it is 250 km long dangerous walking route. A lot of them risk their lives walking on foot on the rails leading to Skopje, using them as an orientation to reach the northern border. Another reason that they choose to walk down the railway is the fact that there is no police to stop them. But sometimes it is costing them their lives.

This is not the first similar incident in Macedonia. The number of illegal immigrants entering in Macedonia in 2014 was four times higher than the year before. In several accidents since the end of last year, more than 15 illegal immigrants have lost their lives being hit by trains, including one month-and-a half old baby.

According to "Macedonian Railways", the company operating the rails, this is a serious problem that jeopardizes the security of the trains and the passengers, so immediate measures have to be taken.

To prevent the accidents, the railway company has reduced the speed of the trains driving in this area, but the drivers still don't manage to spot the immigrants and stop the trains on time.

The Macedonian police takes regular operations and has discovered many of the illegal immigrants entering the country in the recent period, but hasn't managed to stop completely the dangerous transit on the railway. Endit