Scores Injured In Fire At Bosnian Migrant Center

The blaze erupted early on June 1st at the center, which accommodates some 500 migrants.

At least 32 people were injured in a fire at a migrant center in northwestern Bosnia, police said.

The blaze erupted early on June 1 at the center in Velika Kladusa, which accommodates some 500 migrants stuck in the Balkan country while trying to move toward Western Europe.

The blaze likely started accidentally from a cooking device, said local police spokesman Ale Siljdedic.

It spread swiftly, sending the migrants fleeing the building, with some jumping through the windows, Siljdedic told the Associated Press.

Thirteen migrants remain hospitalized with injuries such as burns or fractures, he said.

It took several hours to extinguish the blaze.

Several thousand migrants fleeing war and poverty in their countries have been passing through Bosnia toward the West.

Based on reporting by AP and dpa