ZAGREB, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The fire that broke out late Monday evening at the Vjesnik skyscraper in the Croatian capital Zagreb, one of the tallest buildings in the country, was brought under control on Tuesday, but the structure was left completely destroyed.
No casualties have been reported so far, as there was no one inside the building when the fire broke out before midnight 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.
According to Crnic, after receiving the first call at 23:04 (2204 GMT) on Monday, the fire department immediately dispatched vehicles to the site. As the fire continued to flare up, "we increased the number of forces on the ground," he said, adding that firefighters battled the blaze throughout the night until Tuesday morning.
Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic, who visited the scene on Tuesday morning, said the damage was extensive and that an investigation would determine the cause of the fire.
In a statement, 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."
The cause of the fire is still unknown, but according to local media, an installation error may have led to the blaze. ■
