Police in northern Macedonia say two migrants were killed when a freight train hit them while they slept in the dark near the rails, the AP reported.

The incident happened early Wednesday in the southern part of the country near the village of Miravtsi, near the border with Greece.  

Police did not say what nationality the migrants were.  

Migrants often use the railway as a route as they head north to central Europe.  

In a similar incident in 2015, 14 migrants from Afghanistan and Somalia were killed.

Police say they have spotted hundreds of migrants in recent months after the Balkan route through northern Macedonia became more active following the lifting of travel restrictions due to COVID-19, BTA added. 

train accident

Northern Macedonia