BELGRADE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Eight people lost their lives in a devastating fire early Monday morning at a nursing home in Belgrade's suburb settlement of Barajevo, with police suspecting the tragedy was caused by criminal activity.

"Emergency services reacted quickly and efficiently, but the fire had already spread extensively. Unfortunately, eight lives were lost," Nemanja Starovic, minister for Labor, Employment, Veterans, and Social Affairs, told Serbia's Tanjug News Agency.

Rescuers safely evacuated 13 people from the burning building, while seven sustained injuries and received medical care.

Starovic stated that initial findings point to the possibility of a criminal act. "The investigation is ongoing, and I expect the prosecution to provide official information later today," he added.

The fire erupted at approximately 3:30 a.m. (0230 GMT), with media outlets reporting that around 30 residents were in the building at the time.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze after deploying many personnel and vehicles, while emergency medical teams provided on-site assistance. Enditem

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