Manado, Indonesia: At least 16 people lost their lives when a fire broke out at a nursing home in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, on Sunday evening, authorities confirmed.
The blaze erupted around 8:36 PM local time at Panti Werdha Damai, located in the Ranomuut Sub-district of Paal Dua District. Firefighters from the city government responded quickly, bringing the fire under control by approximately 9:30 PM after deploying three fire engines.
Police and emergency teams immediately secured the site and assisted in evacuating survivors, who were transported to Manado City Regional Hospital and Permata Bunda Hospital for treatment. The victims’ bodies were taken to Bhayangkara Hospital, where authorities are working on identification and coordinating with families.
Alamsyah P Hasibuan, head of public relations for the North Sulawesi Regional Police, said forensic teams are investigating the incident, including examining the scene and interviewing witnesses, to determine the fire’s origin and the sequence of events.
This tragedy comes shortly after another deadly fire in Jakarta earlier this month, which claimed five lives at a residential property that also doubled as a warehouse. Preliminary findings suggested an electrical short circuit may have caused that blaze.
Authorities have not yet released details on the possible cause of the Manado fire. Investigations are ongoing, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.
