MANADO, Indonesia: A fire at a nursing home on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has killed at least 16 people and injured three others, local authorities said on Monday.
The blaze broke out on Sunday evening at the Damai retirement home in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province.
Firefighters received an alert at around 8:30 pm local time, according to the city’s fire and rescue agency chief, Jimmy Rotinsulu.
“There were 16 deaths; three people suffered burn injuries,” Rotinsulu told AFP.
Many of the victims were found inside their rooms, Rotinsulu said, adding that the elderly residents were likely resting when the fire started.
Authorities managed to evacuate 12 people, all of whom were unharmed. They were taken to a local hospital for precautionary checks.
Police said the fire was brought under control about an hour later. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Local officials said efforts were ongoing to identify the deceased. Several bodies were badly burned and described as unrecognisable.
Authorities urged family members to contact the hospital where the bodies have been taken.
Steven Mokodompit, a resident living near the nursing home, told local news outlet Detikcom that the fire appeared to have started in the kitchen area.
“In just five minutes, the fire had engulfed the building,” he said, adding that he and others used tables and ladders to help evacuate residents from the back of the facility after hearing an explosion and screams for help.
Footage broadcast by local television station Metro TV showed flames engulfing the nursing home as residents and locals assisted elderly occupants to safety.
Deadly fires are not uncommon in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, where safety standards and enforcement can vary widely.
Earlier this month, a fire tore through a seven-storey office building in the capital Jakarta, killing at least 22 people.
In 2023, an explosion at a nickel-processing plant in eastern Indonesia killed at least 12 people.
