Twelve people have died following a fire at a care home for elderly residents in Anguruwatota, Sri Lanka, on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze, which also left several people injured.
Police spokesperson Frederick Wootler said eight people are receiving treatment in hospital, while 51 residents were rescued and are being cared for by the Army and other public officials.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Authorities have arrested the director of the care home while investigations continue into the incident and alleged negligence by the management.
The tragedy comes amid a number of significant fire incidents across Sri Lanka in 2026, including:
Following these incidents, the Colombo Municipal Council has been enforcing stricter fire safety regulations. These require high-occupancy buildings to install automatic fire detection and voice evacuation systems.
Penalties for non-compliance include mandatory operational shutdowns for buildings that fail to meet the new safety requirements.
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