Migrants killed by train in Macedonia while taking land route to western Europe to avoid sea

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A group of migrants believed to be making their way to western Europe have been killed by a train.

Fourteen people died as they walked through a canyon in central Macedonia that is believed to be part of an increasingly well-trodden route into the EU.

The accident happened at around 10.30pm local time on Thursday (9.30pm BST) near the central city of Veles.

Rescue efforts were hampered by difficult and hilly terrain, with the site of the accident in Pcinja accessible only on foot or by railway.

Interviews with migrants who survived the accident revealed that most of the group were from Somalia and Afghanistan, Macedonia’s state prosecutor said.

Somalia is in the grip of a long-running civil war between government forces and Islamist factions including al-Shabaab, while the Taliban, Isis and other jihadists are fighting Afghan forces in a continuing insurgency following the withdrawal of British and US troops.

Local media reported that the group numbered around 50 and were hit by an international train travelling from the southern Macedonian border town of Gevgelija to the Serbian capital, Belgrade.

It is the same route taken by migrants trying to get from Greece to Hungary.

“The driver saw a large group, dozens of people,” the prosecutor said in a statement.

“At that moment, he took action to stop the train and engage the siren, at which point some people left the tracks. The train was unable to stop before hitting and running over some of them.”

The tragedy came after a succession of disasters on migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean Sea, where more than 1,700 people died in a seven-day period earlier this month.

People fleeing conflict, poverty and repression in parts of the Middle East and Africa are reportedly increasingly choosing a land route through the Balkans as a longer and safer way to reach western Europe than the treacherous sea crossing.

Additional reporting by Reuters