Pro-government says firefighters pulled father and son from Vračar apartment blaze

Pro-government says firefighters pulled father and son from Vračar apartment blaze
A major fire broke out at about 12:20 p.m. in a third-floor apartment on Jovan Rajić Street in Belgrade’s Vračar neighborhood. Nineteen firefighters using six vehicles arrived from stations in Zvezdara, Voždovac and Zemun, and the blaze was later localized, according to Tanjug.

As smoke and flames filled the roughly 60-square-meter apartment, one man escaped through a window and clung to the ledge for air. Later reports identified the pair as father and son Vladimir J. and Marko J.; Vladimir remained inside while Marko hung outside the window. A child living in the apartment managed to get out before the fire blocked the exit.

Firefighters reached the men after about five minutes and brought both to safety. They suffered burns and inhaled smoke or other combustion products, prompting emergency medical teams to take them for further treatment. One report said the apartment was almost completely destroyed, while firefighters remained at the scene to secure the building.

Residents described the rescue as a desperate scene. “We heard a terrible scream … the man was hanging from the window and desperately trying to get out and reach the air,” one neighbor told Telegraf.rs. She said firefighters arrived quickly and rescued him.

The fire was officially brought under control at 12:45 p.m., and the response prevented it from spreading to other apartments. Neighbors speculated that old, poorly maintained electrical wiring may have caused a short circuit, but reports stressed that the official cause would be established only after a police and fire-inspection investigation.