• 2 missing, 7 receiving treatment, 51 rescued  

The owner of the elders’ home in Anguruwatota, Horana, where a massive fire on Wednesday (03) claimed the lives of 12 residents, was arrested, Police said. 

The authorities confirmed the suspect is currently in custody and is scheduled to be produced before court. The owner of the elders’ home was also summoned to the scene yesterday (4) for investigative proceedings.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the massive and devastating fire that broke out at and swept through an elders’ home in Anguruwatota, Horana, on Wednesday evening, has increased to 12, the Police stated.

A total of 12 people have died (10 at the scene due to burn injuries and two others after being admitted to Hospital) and two others are missing. Seven seriously injured residents are currently receiving in-patient treatment at the Horana District General Hospital, the authorities confirmed, adding that persons were admitted to the Galpatha Divisional and Horana General Hospitals with injuries and health complications. Earlier, around 51 occupants were rescued from the premises, safely without injury, and have since been relocated to a secure location. The authorities had arranged temporary accommodation for the 51 displaced residents at the Batagoda Junior/Primary School on Wednesday night as relief efforts continued. Yesterday morning, with the assistance of Army personnel, those residents were safely transferred to another branch of the same elderly care organisation located in Galpatha.

The fire erupted on Wednesday evening at the “Mawpiya Sewana Senehase Kedella” elderly care home, a privately operated facility that also housed individuals with mental health conditions. At the time of the incident when the fire broke out, approximately 72 residents were inside the building facility. This prompted a major search and rescue operation. Firefighters with three fire trucks, Police officers and emergency responders, who rushed to the scene after receiving information about the incident, with assistance from the local area residents, eventually brought the blaze which spread rapidly through parts of the care home, under control, and completely extinguished it following an intensive firefighting effort. However, the fire caused extensive damage to the facility.

A judicial/Magistrate's inquiry into the incident was conducted yesterday morning when the Horana Magistrate Lakmini Vidanagamage visited the site. The burned bodies were removed in the presence of the Magistrate, and among them, the body of a cat that had died in the fire was also discovered. A report from the Judicial Medical Officer is expected to provide further details regarding the victims.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. Police have deployed three investigative teams to determine how the incident occurred. Investigators are examining the scene to establish how the blaze originated and whether any safety violations contributed to the tragedy. The Horana Police and the Anguruwatota Police are conducting further investigations into the incident. 

The director of the elders’ home has been remanded until 11 June by the Horana Magistrate’s Court.