Tragic fire in Most claims six lives, eight others injured

A nighttime fire at a restaurant in the city of Most in the north-west of the country has left six people dead and eight injured, six of them critically. The injured, who suffered burns and smoke inhalation, were transported to hospitals in Prague, Ústí nad Labem, and Most.

Police are investigating the blaze as potential negligent endangerment and have ruled out forced entry or terrorism. Regional police director Zbyněk Dvořák confirmed the victims’ identities are still unknown. Authorities suspect a propane bottle explosion as the cause, according to a statement on X.

The fire, reported at shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday, had engulfed the building by the time firefighters arrived, the fire department wrote on Facebook.

This is the sixth most tragic fire in Czechia since 1990. The deadliest occurred in August 2020, when an arson attack on an apartment in Bohumín claimed 11 lives.