ATHENS, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Three migrants were killed and three others injured on Thursday when a van carrying them veered off course, overturned and bursted into flames in northern Greece, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

Another three passengers were unharmed from the accident which occurred on a motorway at the outskirts of Kavala city, some 300 km north of Athens and 150 km west to the land border with Turkey.

It is the second such incident reported in the area this year.

Police sources have not yet confirmed the nationalities of the victims or injured, but estimated that they had most likely entered Greece from Turkey.

Over a million of refugees and migrants fleeing conflicts zones and extreme poverty have used Greece as a gateway to other European countries since 2015.

Following the closure of borders along the Balkan route to central Europe, the numbers have dropped sharply, but still tens of thousands this year have attempted the perilous journey.

More than 12,000 migrants and refugees have so far crossed into Greece from the land border with Turkey since the start of 2018, according to Greek authorities. Enditem

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