Death toll rises to 11 in fire at Bosnian retirement home

The death toll in a fire at a retirement home in Tuzla in northern Bosnia rose to 11 on Wednesday and about 30 people were injured, police and prosecutors said.

The blaze engulfed the seventh floor of the old building on Tuesday evening, sending flames and smoke pouring out of the top floors into the night sky. The cause was not immediately clear.

"I saw huge flames and smoke, and elderly and helpless people standing outside," Admir Vojnic, who lives close to the retirement home, told Reuters.

Local media said many of the dead had disabilities and those rescued were moved by emergency crews from the upper floors to lower ones. Some of the injured were in critical condition.

Jasmin Habul, the deputy commander of the Tuzla fire brigade, said two teams of firefighters were joined by a volunteer crew.

"The situation was very difficult because (this involves) immobile people, when rescuing and evacuation take place simultaneously," Habul told Reuters.

Identification of the victims will start later on Wednesday, Tuzla canton chief prosecutor Vedran Alidzanovic said at a press conference.

"A prosecutor began the investigation this morning with the goal of evacuating some of the accessible bodies, but we decided to halt and continue when conditions allow it," Alidzanovic said.

The retirement home, whose director has resigned over the tragedy, said in a statement that the authorities were taking every action to shed light on the causes of "this tragic event".

Some local media reported the home was in a poor condition.

Officials from across government in ethnically-divided Bosnia and Herzegovina offered condolences and help to the Tuzla authorities.

"We feel the pain and are always ready to help," Savo Minic, Prime Minister of the country's autonomous Serb Republic, wrote on X.