Fire at Indonesian Retirement Home Claims 16 Lives

Tragedy Strikes Sulawesi

A devastating fire at a retirement home on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia has resulted in the deaths of 16 individuals and injured three others, according to local authorities. Jimmu Rotinsulu, the head of the fire and rescue agency in Manado, stated that firefighters were alerted to the flames at the Werdha Damai home at 8:31 PM local time (12:31 GMT) on Sunday evening.

"There were 16 fatalities; three individuals suffered burns," he told AFP news agency. Many of the victims' bodies were found in their rooms, Jimmy noted, adding that many elderly residents were resting in their rooms at the time of the fire.

Authorities managed to evacuate 12 people, all uninjured, and transferred them to a local hospital. Footage broadcast by local television station Metro TV showed flames engulfing the retirement home while citizens helped to evacuate an elderly individual.

This tragic incident is the latest in a series of deadly fires reported in Indonesia, an archipelago comprising over 17,000 islands. Earlier in December, a fire ravaged a seven-story office building in the capital city, Jakarta, killing at least 22 people. Additionally, 12 fatalities were recorded in the eastern part of the country this year following an explosion at a nickel processing factory.