{"id":484,"date":"2026-06-04T20:18:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T14:18:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadnews.net\/?p=484"},"modified":"2026-06-05T05:21:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T23:21:24","slug":"sri-lanka-care-home-owner-in-custody-after-fire-kills-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leadnews.net\/?p=484","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka care home owner in custody after fire kills 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

leadnews.COLOMBO, June 4, 2026 (AFP) – The owner of an illegally operated care home in Sri Lanka was remanded in custody Thursday, a day after a fire killed 12 residents and injured six others, officials said.<\/em><\/p>\n

Isuru Anushka, of the Maupiya Sewana home, was ordered to be held until June 11 as investigations opened into Wednesday’s fire, one of the deadliest on the island for decades.<\/em><\/p>\n

A magisterial inquiry into the incident was told by officials that the facility was not authorised to operate as a care home and had not met the minimum standards set by regulators.<\/em><\/p>\n

“Police have been ordered to investigate violations of regulations governing the care of the elderly,” an officer told reporters following a preliminary court hearing.<\/em><\/p>\n

The inquiry was also told that 11 residents of the home were burnt to death at the home, while the 12th victim succumbed to severe burns at a local hospital.<\/em><\/p>\n

Another six escaped with complications from smoke inhalation.<\/em><\/p>\n

Forensic experts combed through the wreckage of the single-storey building and discovered seven charred bodies on Thursday morning, raising the death toll to 12 from the initial five on Wednesday.<\/em><\/p>\n

An AFP photographer saw the owner in handcuffs being escorted to the scene on Thursday, as police interviewed survivors and neighbours.<\/em><\/p>\n

In addition to elderly residents, the facility also housed young people with mental health issues.<\/em><\/p>\n

The youngest victim was a 17-year-old boy, police said.<\/em><\/p>\n

Police said initial witness accounts suggested that the fire originated in a storeroom where dozens of mattresses were stacked.<\/em><\/p>\n

Police spokesman Frederick Wootler said 51 residents and staff rescued on Wednesday had been moved to a nearby government school.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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