Ravenna, September 7, 2026 – The yellow villa has its shutters down and the front door closed: there is no one inside. Under the porch, two bikes are tied to a rack: a blue one with the seat mounted on the luggage rack and a smaller one in shades of pink and purple. From the first-floor terrace hang two towels left out in the sun. A sign that whoever left, thought they would return soon.
But unfortunately, no one will return to the Bastrioski family home for the moment. On August 27, while returning after a period of vacation, their car collided with a truck parked in a rest area on the Slovenian highway.
A crash with devastating consequences for the Macedonian family who have lived in Ravenna for many years. The parents Sabit and Asjen were taken to the hospital, while grandmother Vajda, 74 years old, and the two children, little Dilara, 4, and older Ilkdjan, 11, died instantly. They were all supposed to return home on August 30.
The dynamics of the tragic accident in Slovenia
The accident occurred on the highway between Unec and Ravbarkomanda heading towards Koper. According to reconstructions, the Audi A4 the family was traveling in skidded, scraping against the guardrail and then hitting a truck parked in a rest area. The doctor could only confirm the death of the children and the woman, while the mother, 33 years old, was airlifted to the hospital and the 39-year-old father was taken by ambulance.
The Macedonian community shattered by the terrible news
The Macedonian community of Ravenna, about 600 people, has been devastated by the news for days. At the Byblos bar, just a few steps from the family’s home, everyone knows them. In recent days, two little friends also went to the yellow villa to play ball with the 11-year-old, learning the tragic news.
The neighbors fondly remember the children: they had set up a small pool in the yard for them, where the two enjoyed splashing around. They often played with their Italian greyhounds. The two families had watched the World Cup together this summer: the 11-year-old was a big Inter fan and would have started the second year of middle school at Ricci Muratori in a few days. “They were a beautiful family, very close-knit. What a tragedy,” comments the neighbor.
The funerals in the village of North Macedonia
The funerals were held on Tuesday in Žitineni, a village located in the municipality of Centar Župa, in the western part of North Macedonia. The parents obtained clearance from the Slovenian hospital to attend. In the misfortune, the community also mobilized from Italy to help a devastated family. “We are organizing a charity collection from the entire community to help them get by until they can return to work – says the brother-in-law –. When a tragedy happens, in our culture, we give what we can. We started with those living in Ravenna, but I went as far as Trento. This way we also help cover the funeral expenses and the repatriation of the bodies. It’s the least we can do in the face of such great pain.”
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