Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office still investigating 2016 Arizona market fire

TUZLA, (Patria) - Today, the investigation continued at the entire site of the "Arizona" market in the area of Gradačac, which was engulfed in a large fire in the early morning hours of Sunday. We remind you that yesterday, the investigation could only be carried out at one location, while local fires continued to appear towards the interior of the market, and there were no safety conditions for conducting the investigation, the Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office announced.

"Today, the fire has been extinguished, and investigative teams of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tuzla Canton, under the supervision of a prosecutor, are carrying out investigative activities at the entire location, which was previously secured. An inspector of fire safety and an electrical engineering expert are also on site. All relevant material evidence is being collected, statements from witnesses or eyewitnesses are being taken, and a number of other investigative actions are being undertaken, primarily to uncover all circumstances that led to the fire, i.e., to determine the cause of the fire, but also to gather information about the damage caused by the fire.

A large number of facilities and most of the goods in the facilities burned down in the central part of the market. After collecting all relevant evidence and traces from the scene, experts will analyze them and then submit their findings and opinions to the Prosecutor's Office. Only after the submission of expert analyses will the Prosecutor's Office be able to determine whether there is any criminal responsibility in this case.

The Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office states that an investigation into the fire that occurred at the same market in January 2016 is still ongoing.

"So far, three expert examinations have been conducted and submitted by electrical and fire safety experts. The electrical engineering expert's report stated that the cause of that fire could most likely have been an incomplete short circuit on the self-supporting cable connection of a facility within the market, which caused sparking and led to a fire that spread to other facilities. Also, the experts determined in their findings a number of omissions in the power supply to the facilities, as well as other omissions in the overloading of the electrical network, the presence of gas cylinders, or other risk factors. Therefore, these are omissions by both responsible persons at the market and by the users or owners of the facilities themselves. Given the complexity of the submitted expert examinations and the complicated investigation regarding that fire, criminal responsibility is still being determined, and no prosecutorial decision has been made," the Tuzla Canton Prosecutor's Office announced.