A tragic fire at a nursing home has left at least 12 people dead, and authorities have arrested the facility’s manager from Sri Lanka as investigations into the tragedy go on.
In the late morning of the fire, many elderly care residents were trapped within the building and unable to escape the flames and thick smoke, fire officials said.
The victims were mainly elderly residents who had difficulty evacuating because of health problems and limited mobility, the police said. Some others were injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. No identities of all the victims have been released so far.
Police have arrested the nursing home manager as part of the investigation. They’re also analysing if negligence, safety violations or inadequate emergency preparedness were factors in the high death toll. The exact cause of the fire is also being investigated, the police said.
Witnesses described scenes of panic as firefighters battled the blaze and rescue teams searched the smoke-filled building for survivors. Residents of the building gathered outside the facility without knowing where their loved ones were or what the facility was to do.
Government officials offered condolences to the families of the victims and said they would conduct a thorough investigation into the disaster. Such elderly care facilities may be inspected, according to fire safety regulations and emergency response standards, officials said.
The tragedy has raised questions over how well the safety of long-term care facilities for people who are elderly, particularly vulnerable. And fire alarms, emergency exits, training of staff and regular safety inspections that the staff must do to prevent similar tragedies are all essential to prevent them, he said.
As the investigation proceeds, the cause of the fire and any possible legal action will be made public. The nation grieves for the loss of lives in one of the deadliest nursing homes that have been burned to ash in the last few years.
