Seven people charged over fire in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Tuzla Canton Prosecutor’s Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina has charged seven people in connection with a fire at a care home for elderly people in Tuzla that claimed the lives of 15 residents in November 2025. More than 30 others were injured, Balkan Insight reports.
Who has been charged
Those charged include the facility’s former director, Mirsad Bakalovic; service head Zinaida Razic-Halilovic; and Mustafa Azabagich, who was responsible for fire safety and occupational safety. Charges were also brought against three employees of Tuzla-based company Inproz — Nedim Djambic, Mirsad Zukancic and Jasmin Softic. The company prepared a fire risk assessment for the facility in 2021.
The seventh defendant is Tuzla Canton fire inspector Ibrahim Sarajlic. All seven are charged with serious offenses against public safety. Bakalovic is also accused of abuse of office and authority.
The prosecution’s version
According to the prosecution, from April 2021 to November 4, 2025, the defendants failed to implement or order the implementation of legally prescribed fire and general safety measures, despite knowing that the building had been classified as a high-risk facility.
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The care home for elderly people, operated by the city of Tuzla, housed 180 people. Of them, 110 were seriously ill, had limited mobility or had disabilities. According to the prosecution, the violations included inadequate supervision of residents with limited mobility, improper placement of people according to their health condition and mobility, as well as an insufficient fire prevention and protection system.
The prosecution believes these shortcomings hindered the timely detection and containment of the fire, the detection and reporting of the fire and carbon monoxide in rooms, the evacuation of residents, and the removal of smoke and heat from the building. The fire broke out in one resident’s room on November 4, 2025, and spread rapidly. According to the prosecution, autopsies established a direct causal link between the deaths and carbon monoxide poisoning or other fire-related complications.
The indictment has been submitted to the Tuzla Cantonal Court for confirmation. The prosecution is also seeking to ban all defendants from holding public or professional positions or engaging in certain activities for 10 years.
