2 migrants struck and killed by train in eastern Serbia

Two migrants have been killed by a train in eastern Serbia, near the border with Bulgaria, police said on Friday.

The accident happened around 8 p.m. Thursday on the railway connecting the towns of Pirot and Dimitrovgrad, a spokesman told The Associated Press.

Police said they are working to determine the identities of the men. It was not immediately clear whether the two were alone or in a larger group when the accident took place.

Migrants trying to reach Western Europe often use railway tracks for direction on their journeys. They enter eastern Serbia from neighboring Bulgaria before moving toward European Union member states Hungary, Croatia or Romania.

Officials in the region have reported a huge rise in the number of people arriving in the region on their way toward wealthy EU member nations. Migrants travel for months and years, often facing dangers and abuse at the hands of people smugglers.