TIRANA, Albania (AP) – A car crashed into a river in southeastern Albania on Tuesday, killing all eight people in it, including seven migrant suspects and a local driver, Albanian police said.
Police said the driver lost control of the car around 4 a.m. and plunged into the Villosa River about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of the capital Tirana. Seven of the victims were suspected of being “from third countries,” using a term police often use to refer to immigrants.
Local police chief Ardian Sipa said the car failed to stop at a police checkpoint and drove off. A police vehicle then pursued the car and found it crashed into a river.
“The driver appears to be from Shkoder, and the others appear to be immigrants who frequently pass through this road,” Šipa said, adding that he would not reveal further details until the investigation is complete. Shkodra is a city in the northwest, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the accident site.
Although Albania is not a major migration route, small groups from Arab and Asian countries use it to reach Italy by sea or by land to other neighboring countries.
In 2019, Albania became the first non-EU country to deploy staff from the EU’s internal border agency Frontex to control its southern and eastern borders, where migrants typically cross, and combat cross-border crime.
In February, Albania’s parliament approved a deal for the country to host thousands of asylum seekers in Italy.
