A tragic fire at an unregistered elderly care home in Sri Lanka has led to 12 deaths and the arrest of its owner, highlighting severe concerns about elder care facility regulations and resident safety.
Key Points
- A fire at an elderly care home in Anguruwatota, Sri Lanka, resulted in 12 fatalities and seven injuries.
- The owner, Isuru Anushka Perera, was arrested and remanded until June 11 for operating an unregistered facility.
- Reports indicate the care home was not registered with the government regulator and some mentally challenged residents were found chained.
- Over 70 elderly residents were at the facility when the fire broke out, with 51 rescued and provided temporary accommodation.
- The incident is considered the “worst” fire fatality event in Sri Lanka recently, prompting a magisterial inquiry.
At least 12 people were killed and seven others injured after a fire broke out at an elderly care home in Sri Lanka, police said Thursday. The owner of the elderly care home, ‘Senehase Kadalla Mavupiya Savana’ (the nest of affection), was arrested on Thursday and later remanded till June 11 by a magistrate.
The blaze erupted at around 5:30 pm on Wednesday at the elderly care home in Kalutara district’s Anguruwatota, about 65 kilometres southeast of Colombo. Police said 10 residents were found dead at the premises, while two succumbed to injuries after they were admitted to the Horana Base Hospital.
There were more than 70 elderly residents at the facility when the fire broke out. The fire was doused with the assistance of residents and police. Seven injured persons remain hospitalised, police said. A total of 51 residents were rescued and have been provided with temporary accommodation at a nearby school.
Investigation Underway Into Deadly Blaze
According to police, it was the “worst” incident involving fatalities from a fire in recent times on the island nation. A magisterial inquiry was conducted by Horana Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamage. Police said charred bodies were recovered from the debris in her presence, including that of a cat. Initial reports had suggested that a gas cylinder explosion may have contributed to the rapid spread of the flames. However, authorities said the exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
Unregistered Facility And Chained Residents Revealed
Isuru Anushka Perera, 38, the owner of the privately run care home was arrested on Thursday and was ordered to be remanded till June 11 by the magistrate at Horana after the magisterial inquiry. Reports said that the care home was not registered with the relevant government regulator and had been operating for profit. The care home was accommodating the elderly and a few with mental health issues. Eye witnesses said that the mentally challenged residents were tied in chains.
“They charged Sri Lankan rupees (LKR) 75,000 (USD 225) for enrollment and then we have to pay a monthly fee of LKR 5,000,” a relative of a victim told reporters. “My daughter is a victim, she had been chained. I paid LKR 35,000 per month. My daughter couldn’t be saved because she had been chained,” another relative said.
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