Fire at Indonesian Nursing Home Leaves 16 Dead

The fire broke out at an elderly care facility in Manado and officials said there was reports of an explosion in the kitchen.

By Ahmad Patoni and Carola Frentzen

Source dpa

Dec. 30, 2025

2 min read

Nineteen people escaped the fire that ripped through an elder care facility in North Sulawesi province where 16 people died.

Jakarta — A fire swept through an elderly care home in Indonesia's North Sulawesi province killing 16 people, officials said Monday.

Three other people suffered severe burns, according to a report.

The blaze broke out late Sunday at Panti Werda Damai, a residential facility for older people in the provincial capital Manado, North Sulawesi police spokesman Alamsyah Hasibuan said.

Firefighters extinguished the flames within an hour, but all 16 victims were found dead at the scene, the spokesman said.

There were 19 survivors, reports said.

The cause of the fire was initially unclear, but according to media reports and eyewitnesses, it broke out in the kitchen. From there, the flames quickly spread throughout the entire building.

A man who helped with the rescue efforts told the news site Detik.com that there had been an explosion. "We could hear people calling for help, probably because of the heat and thick smoke."

"We are working to identify the victims," the police spokesman said, urging families of residents to contact the police to assist the process.

A resident described scenes of panic as thick smoke and fire closed in on the building, as reported by the Kompas.com news site.

Evacuation efforts were complicated by the residents’ age and physical condition, with some confined to wheelchairs or too weak to move on their own.

Volunteers and nearby residents joined firefighters in carrying residents out through a side fence, passing bodies hand to hand to get them away from the flames. Several survivors were found unconscious or severely weakened.

Reki, a volunteer who helped with the rescue, said he managed to save seven residents. “We lifted them one by one,” he said, his voice shaking. “Some were already in wheelchairs, and we had to hoist them over the fence.”

He recalled trying to save an elderly man who later died after inhaling heavy smoke, and an elderly woman who had spoken of plans to reunite with her family in early January. “She said she would be with her family on the fifth,” he said. “But she didn’t make it.”

Fires in residential buildings remain a persistent risk across Indonesia, where ageing structures, overcrowding and limited fire-safety equipment are common.