Firefighters work to extinguish the fire of the Vjesnik skyscraper in Zagreb, Croatia, Nov. 18, 2025 . One of the tallest buildings in Croatia caught fire shortly before midnight on Monday and continues to burn Tuesday morning, local media reported. (Matija Habljak/PIXSELL via Xinhua)
ZAGREB, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- A fire that broke out in one of Croatia's tallest skyscrapers on Monday is now under control, with no reports of casualties. However, the structure of the Vjesnik skyscraper in Zagreb has been completely destroyed.
No one was inside the building when the fire started just after 11 p.m. on Monday.
"The fire is under control, but it is normal that there are still sporadic outbreaks and open flames," Domagoj Crnic, firefighter and shift commander of the Zagreb Fire Department, told the local newspaper Jutarnji List. "The building is completely destroyed on the inside, and we will be able to give detailed assessments once the fire is fully extinguished," he added.
The fire department responded to first reports of the fire at 11:04 p.m. local time (2204 GMT) on Monday, Crnic said, immediately dispatching vehicles to the site. As the fire continued to spread, "we increased the number of forces on the ground," he added. Firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night until Tuesday morning.
Due to the spread of heavy smoke to the surrounding areas, the Teaching Institute of Public Health Andrija Stampar (NZJZ) has issued recommendations for citizens who live near the Vjesnik building. Residents have been advised to stay indoors and use protective masks if they have to go out, and people with chronic diseases should be especially careful, NZJZ advised.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic stressed that although there is great damage to the building, which is co-owned by the state, the most important thing is that there are no casualties.
An investigation of the cause of the fire is underway, and the government will take measures to renovate the building, Plenkovic added.
Meanwhile, the Croatian Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, co-owner of the Vjesnik building along with other legal entities, said it "will take all actions to repair the damage and restore the entire complex as soon as possible."
Experts expect that the building could collapse on its own, since the fire has weakened the steel structure inside it. Therefore, demolition of the skyscraper currently seems to be the most likely solution, reported the Jutarnji List.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but according to local media, an installation error may have led to the blaze. ■
Firefighters work to extinguish the fire of the Vjesnik skyscraper in Zagreb, Croatia, Nov. 18, 2025 . One of the tallest buildings in Croatia caught fire shortly before midnight on Monday and continues to burn Tuesday morning, local media reported. (Matija Habljak/PIXSELL via Xinhua)
