On Tuesday, December 26, 2023, a massive fire engulfed a guesthouse in the village of Tohani, Prahova County, Romania, resulting in the deaths of seven people, including at least two children.

The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations reported the guesthouse hosted 26 individuals when the blaze began.

Teams for emergency intervention were dispatched immediately to the site in the early hours of Tuesday. Due to the fire’s severity, search and rescue operations were initiated, initially spurred by reports of five missing individuals.

While the exact number of missing persons is not yet confirmed, authorities have verified that 18 people escaped the inferno, with two among them receiving burn treatment at a nearby hospital.

The fire was extinguished by emergency personnel around 12:45 p.m. on the same day, and search and rescue activities continued even after the fire was put out.

The blaze affected an estimated area of 10,800 square feet. Photographs disseminated by emergency authorities showed the structure significantly damaged by the fire, with firefighters actively working to stabilize the situation.

The fire’s cause is still to be determined, with no immediate indicators of its origin.

Investigations into the cause and circumstances of the fire are ongoing.