COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — A fire at an unregistered nursing home in western Sri Lanka has left 12 residents dead and eight others injured, prompting a criminal investigation into the facility’s management and raising concerns about oversight of elder care institutions in the country.
Police said the fire broke out late Wednesday at a nursing home in Anguruwatota, a town in Sri Lanka’s Western Province. According to police spokesman Fredrick Wootler, 51 residents were rescued from the building, which also housed people with mental illnesses.
The incident has drawn attention to safety standards at residential care facilities after authorities revealed the home had not been officially registered.
Investigation Focuses on Facility Management
Police arrested the director of the nursing home on suspicion of causing deaths through negligence. Court proceedings resulted in an order for the director to remain in custody for one week while investigators continue examining the circumstances surrounding the fire.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the cause of the blaze, and details remain under investigation.
Footage from the scene showed extensive damage to the facility, with much of the building destroyed by fire. Images broadcast by local media depicted firefighters, police officers and residents attempting to control the flames while emergency responders evacuated survivors.
Concerns Raised Over Safety and Overcrowding
Chathura Mihudum, director of Sri Lanka’s National Secretariat for Elders, stated that the facility had not been registered as a nursing home and had previously been warned to comply with legal requirements and operational guidelines.
Mihudum said the institution was severely overcrowded, with approximately 71 people living in a space that had beds for only about 15 residents.
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Government officials had visited the facility before the fire and instructed management to comply with relevant laws and regulations, he said. No additional details about those inspections were immediately provided.
Questions Over Oversight
The deaths are likely to increase scrutiny of regulatory enforcement and safety monitoring at residential care homes across Sri Lanka.
Authorities have not announced whether further legal action will be taken against those responsible for operating the facility. Investigators are continuing to assess the circumstances that led to the fire and the conditions under which residents were being housed.
