Bosnian police say eight boys and girls died in a country house in southwest Bosnia, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning during the New Year celebration.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Eight young men died in a country house in southwestern Bosnia, apparently from carbon monoxide poisoning during a New Year celebration, police said on Friday.
Local police spokeswoman Martina Medic told the Associated Press that the police responded to a call at about 10 am and went to a home in Tribistovo, where several people were found dead. The village is 150 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Sarajevo, the capital.
Regional police commissioner Milan Galic later told broadcaster N1 that the victims were local residents, four men and four women, aged 18 to 20 years.
“They probably suffocated, but more information will be available after the investigation,” said Galic.
The municipality of Posusje, where the village is located, in a Facebook post lamented “eight young lives lost” and asked local cafes and restaurants to close in honor of the victims. Senior officials from Bosnia and Croatia offered condolences to their families.
Bosnian and Croatian media said the eight were high school and university students who died from the leak of carbon monoxide from a generator used for heating during the New Year celebration at a country house.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.