SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Several people have been found dead in a cottage in southwestern Bosnia, police said Friday. Local media reported that eight young people died from carbon monoxide poisoning during a New Year’s Eve celebration.
Local police spokeswoman Martina Medic told The Associated Press that police responded to a call around 10 a.m. and went to a house in the village of Tribistovo where several people were found dead. The village is 150 kilometers (90) southwest of Sarajevo, the capital.
The Posusje municipality, where the village is located, in a Facebook post mourned eight young lives lost, and urged the owners of cafes and restaurants to close down to honor the victims.
Bosnian and Croatian media said eight people, including teenagers and students, died from the poisonous gas leak apparently caused by a power generator used for heating as they celebrated New Years Eve in a holiday cottage.
Medic, the police spokeswoman, could not immediately confirm the death toll.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas that can cause sudden illness and death.