The blaze occurred on the evening of 28/12 at the Werdha Damai nursing home in Manado city, North Sulawesi province. The incident claimed the lives of 16 residents, while three others sustained injuries.
Jimmy Rotinsulu, the city's fire and rescue chief, confirmed the fatalities and injuries, stating that many elderly residents were likely resting in their rooms when the fire broke out. He added that many victims' bodies were found in their rooms.
Authorities rescued 12 people and transported them to a local hospital. Firefighters, utilizing six fire trucks, took over two hours to extinguish the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though police initially said an electrical short circuit caused the fire.
Videos shared by media outlets depicted fierce flames erupting, engulfing the building and turning the night sky orange.
 |
Victims' bodies from the Werdha Damai nursing home fire. Photo: Reuters |
This tragedy follows other significant incidents in Indonesia. In 2023, an explosion at a nickel processing plant in eastern Indonesia killed at least 12 people and injured 39. Earlier this month, a fire destroyed a 7-story office building in Jakarta, killing at least 22.
By Huyen Le (AFP, Reuters)
