Indonesia fire kills 16 people in retirement home

[MANADO, Indonesia] A fire at a retirement home in the city of Manado on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island has killed 16 people, a local police official said on Monday (Dec 29).

The fire at the Werdha Damai retirement home was ablaze late on Sunday and authorities are still investigating its cause, Manado police chief Irham Halid said at a press conference.

Footage by news channel Metro TV showed the fire blazing through the home, turning the night sky orange, with residents appearing to help one elderly person escape from the burning building.

On Monday, the destroyed remnants of the home were filled with debris, a Reuters witness said.

Olva Sumual, the home’s caretaker, said its residents were the elderly, and about 30 people had been in the complex.

Authorities said the fire was extinguished late on Sunday. REUTERS