Two young men held over tower inferno in Croatia
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The blaze broke out shortly before midnight on Nov 17 and engulfed several floors of the landmark Vjesnik building in Croatia's capital, Zagreb.
PHOTO: AFP
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- Two 18-year-olds are charged with arson after a fire destroyed Zagreb's Vjesnik building on Nov 17.
- The blaze, battled by 160+ firefighters, started on the 15th floor and may require demolition of the 1970s building.
- The teens allegedly set fire to cardboard and paper, causing "significant material damage"; three minors were also involved.
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ZAGREB - Police said on Nov 21 they had filed charges against two 18-year-old men over a blaze that destroyed a landmark tower in Croatia’s capital earlier this week.
The fire, which broke out shortly before midnight local time on Nov 17, quickly engulfed the 16-storey building with flames seen pouring from its windows.
A well-known example of modernist architecture in Zagreb, the building was the former home of the Vjesnik publishing house, a media giant that once produced major newspapers and magazines.
Some government archives, stored in parts of the building, were also destroyed in the blaze.
More than 160 firefighters battled the blaze for hours, leaving the 1970s building so severely damaged that experts suggest it may need to be torn down.
Nobody was injured in the fire.
Police in a statement said the two young men were suspected of starting the fire on the 15th floor of the building, and three minors were also allegedly involved.
One of the men started a fire in a cardboard box, while the other set fire to paper, causing the fire to spread to nearby rooms, leaving “significant material damage”, the statement said.
Both suspects were taken into custody, and police filed criminal charges against them with prosecutors.
The two had no previous criminal record. AFP
