Fire injures migrants at Bosnia facility

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — A fire broke out Saturday at a migrant center in northwestern Bosnia, injuring 32 people and forcing some to jump from windows to escape, police said.

The blaze started in the morning at the center in Velika Kladusa, which hosts some 500 migrants who have become stuck in the impoverished Balkan country while trying to move toward wealthier nations in western Europe.

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

It spread swiftly, sending the migrants fleeing the building, with some leaping out windows to safety, Siljdedic said.

Thirteen migrants remain hospitalized with injuries such as burns or fractures, he said. The fire was put out after several hours.

Several thousand migrants fleeing war and poverty in their countries have been passing through Bosnia toward the West. They mostly flock to the northwest, which borders European Union member Croatia.

AP A firefighter helps douse the migrant center Saturday in Velika Kladusa, Bosnia-Herzegovina.