Omis Wildfire Death Toll Rises to Six
A woman born in 1960 died of her injuries in a Split hospital this morning. The first victim of the fire was a seasonal worker from Kotor Varos in Bosnia.
A woman born in 1960 died this morning at the University Hospital Centre (KBC) Split, where she had been treated for severe injuries from the wildfire near Omis. The death toll from the August blaze has risen to six. The first name on that list is Dragana Antesevic (34) of Kotor Varos in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a seasonal worker who had come to Dalmatia for the tourist season, so the story from the Croatian coast leads back to our own neighborhood.
What did the hospital say?
KBC Split identified the deceased patient only by her birth year, without a name. In a statement, the hospital said she received intensive treatment, but her injuries could not be survived:
All necessary medical measures and intensive care procedures were carried out during treatment, but due to the severity of the injuries sustained, death unfortunately occurred. We express our sincere condolences to the family of the deceased patient.
The statement was carried by RTRS and Dnevno.hr.
Who died in the fire?
The sources agree on most of the names. Here is the list as they report it:
- Dragana Antesevic (34), the first victim. According to RTRS, she was caught in the path of the fire with two other women, and after they left their car she could not be found. Her body was recovered in Mala Luka in the Stanici area, and her identity was confirmed by autopsy and DNA analysis. One of the two women with her was seriously injured.
- Drago Lelas (79), a retired firefighter and longtime head of the Omis volunteer fire brigade, died on August 28 in the Split hospital. He was also a multiple blood donor and winner of the City of Omis Lifetime Achievement Award.
- Katica Nikolic (58), who worked in the same area as Antesevic, died after a weeks-long fight for her life in the Split hospital.
- Ivana Kovacic (41) died in early October at KBC Sestre milosrdnice in Zagreb. RTRS reports that it happened on October 6, at the trauma clinic.
- The fifth victim is a man who died on October 14 at KBC Split.
The sources do not agree on the fifth victim. RTRS writes about a 60-year-old man, Dnevno.hr about a man born in 1956 who died in intensive care, and HRT about a 70-year-old who died on Wednesday in the Split hospital. The birth year 1956 matches HRT’s 70 years, while RTRS’s 60 does not.
How did the fire spread?
The sources do not describe the start of the fire the same way either. RTRS says it broke out on August 13 at about 8 p.m. in a wooded area beside a road in Lokva Rogoznica, while HRT writes about the night between August 13 and 14. All three outlets agree on the place: Lokva Rogoznica near Omis.
Driven by strong wind, the fire spread quickly toward Pisak, Mimice, Stanici, Medici, Nemira, Brzet and Borak. It covered a belt about 23 kilometers long and a kilometer and a half wide. Around 1,000 hectares of pine forest, grass and scrub burned, and 40 people were injured, some lightly and some seriously. HRT also reports damage in the millions: many houses, businesses, plantations and vehicles were lost.
Is the cause of the fire known?
No. The cause has not been established, and the on-site investigation has so far not explained how the fire started, HRT reports. Until that is determined, the question of responsibility for damage measured in six lives and roughly a thousand burned hectares remains open.
