Three children lost their lives late Saturday in the village of Jabllanica, Gjakova, following the collapse of an old building.

According to the daily report from the Kosovo Police, the building collapsed under unknown circumstances, trapping three boys—two aged 15 and one aged 14—under the debris.

Kosovo Police Major Milazim Lumi told local media that the collapsed structure was an old, uninhabited building left abandoned since the 1999 war in Kosovo.

Authorities arrived at the scene, and medical teams confirmed the children’s deaths. Their bodies were sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for autopsy.

Euronews Albania’s Kosovo correspondent, Gjoci, reported that the children were believed to be playing inside the abandoned house when it collapsed.

The three teenagers came from different families, and the house did not belong to any of them. The collapse is thought to have happened much earlier, and it is suspected that the children remained trapped under the rubble for several hours before residents discovered the incident.

Kosovo’s President expressed her deepest condolences to the families for what she called a tragic event.

“There are no words that can ease the pain of families facing the immeasurable void left by the loss of their loved ones,” Osmani wrote in a Facebook post.

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca called for a thorough investigation of the case.

The Mayor of Gjakova, Ardian Gjini, said he was shocked by the news of the children’s deaths and extended his condolences to the families.

“Let’s do everything we can to stand by the families in these difficult moments!” he wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the Mayor of Pristina, Përparim Rama, also expressed condolences and stated that the capital city is ready to offer any assistance needed to the Municipality of Gjakova.

“Such a tragedy reminds us of our shared responsibility to create a safer environment for everyone. My heartfelt condolences to all the families, friends, and loved ones,” Rama wrote on Facebook.