The Associated Press
ZAGREB, Croatia — A fire chief was detained Thursday on suspicions that he mishandled the operation to battle the blaze on a Croatian island last week in which 11 firefighters died, police said.
Drazen Slavica, who heads firefighting efforts in the central coastal region, was suspected of “endangering lives and property by a dangerous act,” police spokesman Krunoslav Borovec told The Associated Press.
Slavica is being interrogated, Borovec said, but declined to provide further details. He has not been charged or formally placed under investigation.
The fire chief has denied any wrongdoing. He insists that the group’s leader - who also died in the blaze - was responsible for their actions at the location.
A 20-year-old man is being investigated on suspicion he started the fire on the central island of Kornat by discarding a cigarette butt.
Relatives of the dead firefighters have repeatedly blamed Slavica for the deaths - the country’s biggest firefighting disaster - saying that the group lacked adequate equipment and had no directions for a retreat in case of danger.
Meanwhile, three more firefighters died of injuries suffered while battling the fire on Kornat last Thursday, bringing the death toll to 11, the health ministry said Thursday.
A 19-year-old firefighter died late Thursday, while two others died overnight. Two more firefighters remain in critical condition, the ministry said.
Thirteen firefighters - a group that volunteers and professionals - found themselves trapped by the fire they were sent to tackle on Kornat. Six died at the scene and others suffered serious injuries, with burns covering up to 90 percent of their bodies.
Two others died in hospital, one on Sunday and another Monday. Among the victims were a 17-year-old, four 19-year-olds and also a father and a son.
Experts say the incident likely was caused when the wind suddenly changed direction, spreading the blaze around the firefighters.