Bosnian police say eight young men and women died in a cottage in southwest Bosnia, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning during a New Year’s Eve celebration
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Eight young men and women have died in a cottage in southwestern Bosnia, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning during a New Year’s Eve celebration, police said Friday.
Local police spokeswoman Martina Medic told The Associated Press that police responded to a call around 10 a.m. and went to a house in Tribistovo where several people were found dead. The village is located 150 kilometers (90) southwest of Sarajevo, the capital.
Regional Police Commissioner Milan Galic later told N1 broadcaster that the victims were local residents, four men and four women, ages 18-20.
“They probably suffocated, but more information will become available after the investigation,” Galic said.
The municipality of Posusje, where the village is located, mourned “eight young lives lost” in a Facebook post and urged local cafes and restaurants to close to honor the victims. Top officials from Bosnia and Croatia expressed their condolences to their families.
Bosnian and Croatian media said the eight were high school and university students who died from carbon monoxide leaking from a generator they used for heating while celebrating New Year’s Eve at a vacation home.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.