Sri Lanka: 12 killed in fire at elderly care facility

Colombo: As many as 12 people have been confirmed dead in a fire that broke out in an elderly care facility in Sri Lanka’s Western Province late Wednesday evening, local police said on Thursday.

According to the local authorities, following the incident in Anguruwatota, Horana, rescuers managed to safely evacuate 44 individuals from the facility without injuries, while seven others were wounded and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, Xinhua news agency reported.

Three people are currently unaccounted for, the authorities added. The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated. The Director of the facility has been remanded until June 11 by the Horana Magistrate’s Court, local media reported.

According to leading Lankan media outlet Ada Derana, six individuals were admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. They are currently receiving inpatient treatment at the Horana Base Hospital. Around 50 people, who survived the fire, were temporarily accommodated at the Batagoda Junior School on Wednesday night.

Horana Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamage visited the site, and a magistrate’s inquiry into the incident was conducted. According to the police, 71 residents were staying at the elders’ home at the time of the incident, the report detailed. With the assistance of Sri Lanka Army personnel, those residents were safely transferred to Galapatha to another branch of the same elderly care organisation. Further investigation is being conducted by the Anguruwatota police.

The care facility is also known as ‘Senehase Kedella’, according to a report by another media outlet ‘Lankan news web’.

The elderly facility is quite popular and has gained widespread recognition on social media platforms, where videos showcase the daily lives of the residents.

Birthday celebrations, festive gatherings and light-hearted moments between staff and the elderly attracted a large audience and made the residents familiar faces to many social media users, the report mentioned.

IANS