Sixth person dies from August wildfire near Omiš, cause still unknown
A 66-year-old woman has become the sixth person to die from injuries in the wildfire that swept through Croatia's Omiš area in August, with the cause still not established.
A 66-year-old woman died on Sunday from injuries sustained in a wildfire that swept through the Omiš area of Croatia in August, bringing the death toll from the blaze to 6, Split's University Hospital Centre said.
The woman had been receiving treatment since the fire broke out on the night of 13 August near Lokva Rogoznica, Croatian news site Index.hr reported. Hospital staff said all necessary intensive care measures had been taken but she died of her injuries, and expressed condolences to her family.
The first victim, seasonal worker Dragana Antešević, 34, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, died during the fire itself after losing contact with two other women she had been with when they abandoned their car. Four more people later died in hospital from their injuries: retired firefighter Drago Lelas, 79; Katica Nikolić, 58; Ivana Kovacić, 41; and a 70-year-old man who died on 14 October.
Driven by strong winds, the fire spread about 23 kilometres from Lokva Rogoznica towards the settlements of Stanići, Nemira, Brzet and Borak before reaching Omiš, burning roughly 1,000 hectares of pine forest, grass and scrubland and injuring about 40 people, according to Antena M.
More than 70 days after the fire, prosecutors in Split have not publicly disclosed the cause or said whether anyone has been identified as a suspect, Index.hr reported. An investigation opened on 15 August included police, a fire and explosives inspector and forensic experts from the Ivan Vučetić forensic science centre, but its findings have not been made public.
Split politician Puljak has publicly asked how many more victims will be mourned before answers are given, according to Index.hr, which also noted that the national SRUUK emergency warning system was not activated during the fire.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Srpskainfo, FENA +2 A 66-year-old woman died Sunday, the sixth fatality from the August wildfire near Omiš.
- 1 outlet · Index.hr The fire broke out on 13 August near Lokva Rogoznica and burned about 1,000 hectares.
- 2+ outlets · Antena M, Index.hr The cause of the fire has not been determined more than 70 days later.
- 1 outlet · Index.hr Dozens of people were injured when the fire swept through the area.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
The rising death toll, more than two months after the fire, has renewed questions in Croatia about why the cause has still not been established and whether the national emergency warning system should have been activated to alert residents sooner. Families of the dead and the wider public are still waiting for prosecutors to say what started the blaze and whether anyone bears responsibility for it.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Srpskainfo: TRAGEDIJA KOD OMIŠA NE PRESTAJE Preminula još jedna žrtva stravičnog požara
- FENA: Preminula još jedna žrtva požara u Omišu
- Antena M: Preminula šesta žrtva požara u Omišu
- Index.hr: Šest mrtvih, 71 dan istrage. Još se ne zna uzrok požara kod Omiša
- Index.hr: Puljak: Koliko ćemo još žrtava požara u Omišu ispratiti prije nego dobijemo odgovore?
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many people have died from the Omiš wildfire?
- 6 people have now died from injuries sustained in the August wildfire, after a 66-year-old woman died on Sunday.
- What caused the fire?
- The cause has not been established more than 70 days after the fire broke out, prosecutors in Split have said.
- How big was the fire?
- It burned about 1,000 hectares of pine forest, grass and scrubland over a stretch of about 23 kilometres.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.