14-year-old teenager did not return home after the celebration. His body was found under the hay debris after the fire 0 14

In the Smiltene region, the circumstances surrounding the death of a teenager are being investigated, whose remains were discovered after a fire in a large hay barn.

The fire occurred on a farm near Smiltene. When firefighters arrived at the scene, the single-story barn, covering an area of about 400 square meters, was already fully engulfed in flames, and the roof had collapsed.

Inside were hundreds of bales of hay stacked in several tiers, so the aftermath of the fire took more than 20 hours to clear. During the debris removal, rescuers found the remains of a deceased person.

The identity is still being officially established, and necessary examinations, including DNA analysis, have been appointed. However, the family of the missing 14-year-old boy believes that the remains found belong to him. The boy's adoptive father stated that he was able to recognize the clothing found at the scene of the tragedy.

According to the man, that evening, events dedicated to the beginning of summer were taking place in Smiltene. The teenager received permission to go to the celebration, and his parents monitored his location through his phone. Initially, it was assumed that he would stay overnight at a friend's house under adult supervision.

However, later the teenager left to hang out with several peers. Soon, his phone stopped transmitting location data. It later turned out that the group of teenagers went to the farm's premises, where the fire subsequently broke out.

Preliminary information indicates that there were three teenagers in the barn — a 13-year-old boy, a 14-year-old boy, and a 15-year-old girl. Another child was separately walking towards his friends at that moment.

The investigation is considering several possible causes of the fire. Among the theories mentioned are careless handling of fire, use of pyrotechnics, or igniting paper inside the building.

According to one preliminary version, when the teenagers noticed the fire, they tried to escape. It is assumed that one of the boys could not get outside — possibly falling between the bales of hay or becoming trapped.

"They say that they were all standing together. Two ran outside, while the third did not make it out. But no one knows anything and saw nothing. It doesn’t add up for me. We just want to know the truth, whatever it may be," said the adoptive father of the deceased in the Degpunktā program (TV3).

Local residents note that this barn had burned before, so initially, many did not pay attention to the new fire.

Now investigators must establish not only the exact cause of the fire but also reconstruct the last moments before the tragedy. A criminal case has been initiated regarding the incident.

For the family of the deceased, the main question remains not only the cause of the fire but also an understanding of why the teenager could not escape from the burning barn along with the others.