A devastating fire at a retirement home in Tuzla, Bosnia, claimed 13 lives and left reports indicating over 30 people were injured on Tuesday evening, Nov. 4, 2025. The initial count was reported as 11, then increased to 12. Another person died, bringing the total number of fatalities to 13, the University Clinical Center (UKC) Tuzla said Friday, Nov. 7.
The blaze erupted on the seventh floor of the facility in Tuzla, located approximately 80 kilometers northeast of Sarajevo. Authorities confirmed that the higher floors of the building housed immobile elderly residents, complicating evacuation efforts as flames engulfed the upper level of the complex.
Tuzla mayor Zijad Lugavic reported that firefighters and rescue workers were among those injured while battling the blaze. According to sources, the fire took about an hour to bring under control as emergency crews worked to evacuate residents from the multi-story building.
Ruza Kajic, a resident living on the third floor, described the terrifying moments when the fire began. “I had gone to bed when I heard popping sounds and saw flames falling from upper floors,” she said. Her account provides a glimpse into the chaos that unfolded as the fire spread through the building’s upper levels.
The cause of the fire remains unclear, and authorities have launched an investigation to determine what sparked the deadly blaze. Prosecutors and local officials are working to piece together the events that led to one of the worst residential facility fires in recent Bosnian history.
Efforts to identify the bodies of the seven women and six men, all over the age of 67, who died are ongoing as investigators work to confirm their identities. The process has been complicated by the extensive damage to the building’s upper floors, where the most vulnerable residents were housed.
In the wake of the tragedy, Mirsad Bakalovic, the director of the retirement home, submitted his resignation. According to sources, Bakalovic stated the resignation was necessary following the devastating incident.
The facility’s layout placed elderly residents with limited mobility on the building’s higher floors, a factor that significantly hampered rescue operations. Emergency responders faced considerable challenges reaching these residents as smoke and flames blocked access routes through the structure.
Mayor Lugavic convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation and coordinate the city’s response to the disaster. “It’s the only human thing to do, the least I can do in this tragedy,” Bakalovic said regarding his resignation, according to local media reports. Local authorities are working to support affected families and ensure proper care for the injured survivors, many of whom remain hospitalized.
The fire has drawn attention to safety protocols at elderly care facilities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. While investigators have not yet determined whether the facility had adequate safety measures in place, the investigation is expected to examine all aspects of the building’s fire prevention systems.
Kajic’s testimony of hearing popping sounds before witnessing flames cascade from upper floors suggests the fire may have spread rapidly through the building. The exact sequence of events remains under investigation as authorities work to establish a timeline of the disaster.
Emergency services responded promptly to the scene, but the combination of immobile residents on upper floors and the fire’s intensity created extremely difficult conditions for rescue operations. Multiple rescue workers sustained injuries during their efforts to evacuate residents from the burning building.
The investigation continues as authorities work to determine not only what caused the fire but also whether any safety violations or structural issues contributed to the high casualty count. Prosecutors have indicated they will conduct a thorough examination of all factors related to the incident.
As the northeastern city of Tuzla mourns the victims, questions about retirement home safety standards and emergency preparedness protocols are likely to become focal points of public discourse. The tragedy has affected not only the immediate families of victims but the entire community in this Bosnian city.
Officials across Bosnia and Herzegovina have expressed condolences to the families affected by the fire. The incident represents a significant loss for Tuzla and has prompted calls for increased scrutiny of safety measures at similar facilities throughout the region.