Migrant horror as one dies and 12 in hospital after boat capsizes

Commander Ivan Vuleta told Hina that his crews had recovered eight survivors and three bodies from the river - but later revised his figures.

One migrant has died and a dozen others rushed to hospital after a boat carrying people across the Sava River capsized in icy waters near Slavonski Brod in Croatia in the early hours of Thursday. Initial information from the Slavonski Brod Public Fire Department suggested a far higher death toll. Commander Ivan Vuleta said earlier in the morning that his crews had recovered eight survivors and three bodies from the river.

Hours later, after regrouping with all personnel, he acknowledged that the report had been incorrect. Only one fatality had been confirmed by his team, he said, and two additional rescued migrants had been found alive, one of them in critical condition. The confusion stemmed from operations unfolding at two separate locations along the river.

Mr Vuleta said firefighters were first dispatched upstream of the Sava bridge, where six migrants were spotted clinging to a raft. All were pulled from the cold water alive.

Shortly afterwards, police alerted crews to another cluster of people near the stadium downstream.

Three migrants were recovered there; one was already dead, while two showed signs of severe hypothermia.

According to Mr Vuleta, all survivors were transferred to hospital care, though he stressed that multiple services took part in the rescue effort — including the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, police and emergency medical teams — and he could not confirm whether additional victims might have been recovered by other units.

Police spokesperson Kata Nujic said officers received a report at 5.20am that several people were in the river calling for help.

Patrols were immediately dispatched, and emergency services converged on the scene as the scale of the incident became clear. In total, police said 13 foreign nationals were pulled from the water, including the deceased victim.

All survivors were treated for hypothermia at the hospital in Slavonski Brod. Among them is a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina whom police believe is linked to the commission of a criminal offence connected to the river crossing. That individual remains under medical care but is being guarded by officers.

Slobodna Dalmacija reported that the outlet had initially published higher casualty figures, which were later corrected by fire department officials.