Fire at Indonesia retirement home kills 16, mostly elders; Probe underway

The fire at the Werdha Damai retirement home was finally extinguished late on Sunday and authorities are still investigating its cause

A fire at a retirement home in the city of Manado on Indonesia's on Sulawesi island has killed 16 people, a local police official was quoted as saying on Monday by state news agency Antara.

Jimmy Rotinsulu, chief of Manado's fire department, told Metro TV that the home's residents, most of whom were elderly, were trapped inside the building (Unsplash/Representational Image)

The fire at the Werdha Damai retirement home was finally extinguished late on Sunday and authorities are still investigating its cause, police official Alamsyah P. Hasibuan said.

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.

Jimmy Rotinsulu, chief of Manado's fire department, told Metro TV that the home's residents, most of whom were elderly, were trapped inside the building, adding that another three people suffered burns.