The Associated Press
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — A fire tore through an orphanage in Bosnia’s capital Sunday, killing five children and injuring at least 18 babies, police and hospital officials said.
The fire at the Ljubica Ivezic orphanage in downtown Sarajevo started around 6 a.m. on the third floor of the building and rapidly spread to three rooms where younger children were sleeping, according to fire and police officials.
Firefighters said the flames raced through the building so quickly that even though they extinguished the blaze in around 10 minutes they were not fast enough to save all of the children.
Firefighters rescued 23 children from the three rooms.
All the injured were babies except for a nurse who was working at the orphanage, said Biljana Jandric, a spokeswoman for Sarajevo Kosevo hospital. Several of the injured were in serious condition.
Authorities did not know what caused the fire, and an investigation has begun, said police spokesman Dragan Furtula.