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.
As Armenia heads toward parliamentary elections on 7 June, the country's relationship with Azerbaijan is emerging as one of the defining issues of the...
Twelve people have died following a fire at a care home for elderly residents in Anguruwatota, Sri Lanka, on Thursday. Authorities are investigating t...
Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced plans on Wednesday (4 June) to expand three Jewish settlements in the West Bank by more than 2,...
China has criticised planned maritime boundary discussions between Japan and the Philippines, arguing that the waters involved fall within an area whe...
U.S. President Donald Trump will attend next month's NATO leaders' summit in Türkiye, ending weeks of uncertainty over whether he would take part in ...
Thousands of people gathered across Colombo on Saturday night (30 May) as Sri Lanka's capital came alive with light and colour for Vesak, one of the most important festivals in the Buddhist calendar.
Iranian sailors who survived a U.S. submarine strike in the Indian Ocean were recovering at a hospital in the Sri Lankan port city of Galle, authorities said on Thursday (5 March), a day after at least 87 were killed in the attack.
The U.S. Department of Defense has released a video of a submarine strike on an Iranian warship off the southern Sri Lankan coast. At least 80 people died in the U.S. attack on the vessel, Sri Lanka's Deputy Foreign Minister said.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is reviewing Sri Lanka’s request for approximately $200 million in emergency financing after Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread destruction across the island nation.
Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought heavy rain, power cuts and transport disruption across Japan on Wednesday (3 June) as it tracked towards the greater Tokyo region.
Police officers were pelted with missiles during violent clashes at a protest near the Southampton, UK, home of convicted murderer Vickrum Digwa, as anger continued to grow over the handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old Henry Nowak.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Albania in recent days to protest against a luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, and his wife Ivanka Trump.
An Iranian drone and missile attack struck Kuwait International Airport early Wednesday, injuring several people, damaging Terminal 1 and forcing flight diversions, Kuwaiti authorities said.
Armenia’s parliamentary election comes at a defining moment for the South Caucasus, a region reshaped by the Garabagh conflict and broader shifts in Russia-West relations. The outcome is increasingly seen as a signal of Armenia’s future foreign policy direction and the regional balance of power.
Armenia will hold parliamentary elections on 7 June 2026, a vote that will shape the country’s political direction for the next five years. Understanding how the electoral system converts votes into parliamentary power is key to following the outcome and its wider regional implications.
Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced plans on Wednesday (4 June) to expand three Jewish settlements in the West Bank by more than 2,000 homes, drawing condemnation from Palestinian leaders who warned the move could fuel further unrest.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said in a statement that its Aerospace Force did not strike the Kuwait Airport passenger terminal on Wednesday, and that the destruction was instead caused by a failed U.S. Patriot missile.
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire after U.S.-backed talks in Washington. The deal requires Hezbollah to halt attacks and withdraw from southern Lebanon, while both sides will resume direct talks later this month aimed at reaching a broader agreement.
Baku Energy Week 2026 has drawn to a close after three days of high-level discussions, negotiations and business engagement in Baku, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders and international investors to shape the future of global and regional energy markets.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment