Italy welcomes Bosnians seeking haven

(First Edition)

TRIESTE (Agencies) - After waiting days for someone to take them in, more than 550 refugees, mainly women and children, fleeing from the fighting in Bosnia-Herzegovina, arrived in Italy by train yesterday. In addition, two planeloads of more than 100 children evacuated on Saturday from Sarajevo were expected to arrive in Milan last night.

On Saturday several countries, including Italy, appealed for international aid for the exodus.

A train packed with 2,000 Bosnian refugees remained blocked at Zapresic in Croatia yesterday, despite having been due to travel late on Saturday to the Croatian port of Rijeka, the Croatian news agency HINA reported. The train in Zapresic, 13 miles north of Zagreb, contained mostly retreating Bosnian soldiers as well as some women and children. The news agency, quoting the government bureau for refugees, said the train was meant to leave for Rijeka, from where the passengers were to be transported by boat to the port of Split and then on to 'safe, liberated parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina'.