ALBAWABA- Five residents were killed and 12 others injured when a fierce overnight fire engulfed the “Zlatne Godine” (Golden Years) elderly care home in Tuzla early Tuesday, marking one of Bosnia’s deadliest residential fires in recent years.
The blaze broke out on the ground floor of the two-story wooden building, which housed about 45 elderly residents aged between 70 and 95. Firefighters battled the inferno for more than four hours amid dense smoke and rapidly spreading flames.
Authorities confirmed that four women and one man, all with limited mobility, died from smoke inhalation before rescuers could reach them.
Twelve survivors were hospitalized at the University Clinical Center Tuzla, including six in serious condition suffering from burns and respiratory distress. Two night-shift staff members sustained minor injuries while helping evacuate 28 residents.
Preliminary investigations suggest the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the facility’s communal kitchen. Officials noted that the aging structure lacked automatic sprinklers and adequate fire exits despite a safety inspection conducted earlier this year.
Tuzla Canton Premier Senad Jakupovic declared a three-day mourning period and pledged a full review of safety standards in all regional care facilities. “These were our elders, the keepers of our history, their loss is a tragedy for us all,” Jakupovic said at the scene.
The Bosnian Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal for donations, while the Tuzla mayor’s office announced immediate financial aid for reconstruction and victim support.
Survivors and relatives gathered outside the charred ruins, mourning those who “survived war but not neglect,” as one grieving daughter said, clutching a photograph of her mother.
