Death toll rises to 12 in Bosnia retirement home fire, day of mourning declared

The death toll from a fire that broke out late Tuesday at a retirement home in Tuzla, northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), has risen to 12, local authorities said Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

According to the University Clinical Center Tuzla, over 30 people have been hospitalized, including five firefighters and three police officers.

The Prosecutor's Office of Tuzla Canton has launched an investigation into the cause of the blaze.

The government of the Federation of BiH declared Nov. 6 a Day of Mourning to honor the victims. Flags will be flown at half-mast across the Federation, and all cultural and entertainment programs will be suspended.

Authorities described the tragedy as one of the deadliest residential fires in Bosnia in recent years.