More Details Emerge About the Tragic Accident That Killed Three Kosovans in North Macedonia

Ejup Tërnava, Cennet Tërnava and Fatmire Shabani, all residents of Vushtrri, lost their lives after the car in which they were returning to Kosovo ended up in the Lepenc River in North Macedonia.

The family trip had begun for a joyful reason, as Ejup Tërnava and his wife had traveled to Skopje International Airport to meet Ejup’s sister, Fatmire Shabani, who had just arrived. A family member said that after meeting, the three set off for Kosovo, but it turned out to be their final journey.

Their last trace was recorded at around 22:38, when the vehicle was captured by security cameras. After that, their phones no longer gave any signal, and their relatives were unable to contact them. Concern grew as the hours passed, while family members began searching in different areas and sought help from both the authorities and members of the public.

It is suspected that the driver may have mistakenly entered a dead-end road that ended near the river. He claims there were no road signs in the area where the accident occurred that could have warned drivers of the danger.

After a search lasting several hours, rescue teams found the German-registered Mercedes GLC submerged in the Lepenc River.

Interior Ministry Information

North Macedonia’s Interior Ministry announced that the incident was recorded on July 19, 2026, at around 22:35. Skopje police had been notified that a German-registered Mercedes had overturned along this road.

Police patrols immediately arrived at the scene and found three people inside the vehicle with no signs of life: one man and two women. Their deaths were confirmed by the emergency physician who attended the scene.

According to the Interior Ministry’s statement, earlier that same day, at around 13:40, a Kosovo citizen had reported three people missing at the Bit Pazar Police Station. In his statement, he said that the last contact with them had been on July 18 at approximately 22:15, while they were at Skopje International Airport.

Kosovo Embassy Works to Repatriate the Bodies of the Three Vushtrri Residents

Florian Qehaja, Kosovo’s ambassador to North Macedonia, announced that the embassy was handling the procedures to return to Kosovo the bodies of the three victims of the serious accident near the Hani i Elezit-Bllacë border crossing.

Ambassador Qehaja extended his condolences to the families of Ejup Tërnava, Cennet Tërnava and Fatmire Shabani, who tragically lost their lives in the accident that occurred last night in North Macedonia.

The tragedy has plunged the victims’ families, their friends and the entire city of Vushtrri into mourning, while the news has affected Albanians wherever they live. North Macedonian authorities are continuing their investigation to clarify all the circumstances and determine the causes of the serious accident.