Tista’ taqra bil-
Malti.
Four Maltese tourists were killed in a tragic accident in Croatia on Thursday afternoon when their car veered off a highway and ended up in the sea.
Their death was confirmed on Friday morning by the Ministry for Foreign and Tourism Affairs, which conveyed its condolences to the victims’ families and which pledged to follow every update and provide assistance as required in relation to the case, with the help of the Croatian authorities.
Croatian media reported that the incident took place at around 4.20pm on Thursday on the D8 State Road – the Croatian section of the Adriatic Highway which runs along the east coast of the Adriatic Sea.
The rental car was passing through Bunica, a small settlement just north of the coastal town of Senj, when its driver lost control of the vehicle on a gentle left bend. The vehicle veered sharply towards the right, past the barriers, falling down a 70m-deep ravine and ending up in the sea.
The car’s four occupants – two men and two women – died on the spot.
Their bodies were recovered from the water by rescuers from the Gospić station of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS), and taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in the city of Rijeka for autopsy and identification.
Dario Cindrić, the head of the HGSS Gospić station, reported that the authorities had alerted them about the incident at around 5pm, and a team of four rescuers, including two divers, were dispatched on scene.
The group had initially only been informed that a single person was on the car, but the dive confirmed that three others had been killed in the incident.
Croatian police are investigating the case, with media reports suggesting that the driver may have suffered a medical episode while driving.
The challenging recovery operation was described as the most difficult intervention in the career of veteran Croatian diver Renato Huba. Huba, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, helped recover the car and the victims’ remains.
“The tragedy is great; four human lives were lost. It was horrible,” Huba told a Croatian newsroom. He added, “I prepared myself for the worst situation, but that was not enough; this was much worse.” The diver noted that the victims’ personal belongings, including cell phones, women’s glasses, and “a lot of snacks,” were scattered inside the submerged vehicle. Describing the difficulty of retrieving the vehicle, Huba stated, “I expected it to be bad, but not this bad.”
Among the first responders was police officer Jasmin Mujaković. Witnesses reported that Mujaković immediately removed his uniform and entered the cold water, diving to a depth of 16 meters in an attempt to open the car door.
Adrian Karamba of the towing service praised the officer’s efforts, saying, “He tried everything he could. He jumped, dived, tried to open the door, but due to the extensive damage and the strong water pressure, it was simply not possible. He did his best.” Mujaković declined to offer any comment to the media.
The names of the victims are being withheld until all families have been officially informed.
