A fire broke out at about 12:20 p.m. in a third-floor apartment on Jovana Rajića Street in Belgrade’s Vračar district, according to Tanjug. Nineteen firefighters in six vehicles from the Zvezdara, Voždovac and Zemun units responded, and the blaze was later localized at 12:45 p.m.¹

The apartment’s occupants reportedly included a father, Vladimir J., his son, Marko J., and a younger family member. The child managed to escape before the flames cut off the exit. Marko climbed onto a window ledge to get away from the smoke, while Vladimir remained trapped inside the apartment, according to local reports.²

Firefighters reached the scene within about five minutes and pulled Marko from the window before entering the smoke-filled apartment to rescue his father. Both men suffered burns and inhaled smoke, and emergency medical crews transported them for further treatment. Reports said the 60-square-meter apartment was extensively damaged and continued to emit smoke after the fire was contained.

A neighbor described the rescue as a frightening spectacle: “We heard a terrible scream and immediately ran outside. The man was hanging from the window, desperately trying to get out and reach some air.”²

The cause of the fire had not been officially established. Residents speculated that the building’s old and poorly maintained electrical wiring may have caused a short circuit, but investigators and fire-safety officials were expected to determine what started the blaze. Firefighters remained at the site to secure the building and prevent the flames from spreading to other apartments.³