16 killed in nursing home blaze in Indonesia

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 16 people have been killed and three others injured after a fire broke out at a nursing home in Indonesia, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

Jimmu Rotinsulu, head of the fire and rescue agency in the city of Manado, said firefighters received a report of the blaze at the Werdha Damai retirement home at 8:31 pm on Sunday.

“There were 16 deaths, and three people sustained burn injuries,” he told the AFP news agency.

Many of the victims’ bodies were found inside their rooms, Rotinsulu added, noting that many of the elderly residents were likely resting when the fire broke out.

Authorities managed to evacuate 12 people, all uninjured, and transferred them to a local hospital, he said.

Footage aired by local broadcaster Metro TV showed the fire engulfing the nursing home, while locals assisted in evacuating elderly residents.

The blaze is the latest deadly fire reported in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

Earlier this month, a fire tore through a seven-storey office building in the capital, Jakarta, killing at least 22 people.

sa