A fire that broke out in a nursing home in northeastern Bosnia-Herzegovina killed 10 people and injured 20, local police reported.
The blaze started on Tuesday night at the retirement facility in the town of Tuzla, igniting on the seventh floor shortly after 20:45 local time (19:45 GMT).
Around 20 individuals, including firefighters, police officers, medical personnel, staff, and nursing home residents, received treatment at a medical center, according to a police spokesperson.
While the cause of the fire was not immediately determined, Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić described it as a disaster of enormous proportions.
According to preliminary information, 10 residents of the Tuzla retirement home lost their lives in the fire, the police spokesperson added.
Officials announced that a thorough investigation would be initiated as soon as conditions allowed. The Chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency, Željko Komšić, expressed condolences to the victims' families and those injured, as reported by national broadcaster BHRT.
A resident of the nursing home, Ruza Kajic, detailed her chilling experience: she was awakened by a cracking sound and saw burning debris falling outside her window. She fled into the hallway, where she feared for the lives of residents who were bed-ridden on upper floors.
Footage from the scene depicted flames blazing from the windows of the upper levels of the nursing home.
According to statements from the Tuzla University clinical center, several patients were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, with three in critical condition.
