Shocking revelation about those who died in the Horana fire - those who were tied up were burnt.

The number of people who died in the fire at the 'Senehase Kædælla' elder care home located in Batagoda, Horana, has now risen to 12. The person known as 'Loku Aiya', who acted as the caretaker of the home, has been arrested by the police due to negligence before and after the fire.

By this morning, family members of those who died in the fire had arrived at this facility, which was operated as a private elder care home. According to their revelations, their elders had been placed at this facility for a monthly fee of approximately 5000 rupees. It was reported that while the facility claimed to provide care for both mentally challenged and non-mentally challenged individuals with high professional experience, the services provided were of a very poor standard. 

The relatives who were present stated that they did not have regular opportunities to visit their parents and were only allowed one day per month. They also heard that while the service providers acted diligently on this specific day, the situation was different on other days of the month, and those who were difficult to care for were tied to tables, and the staff acted negligently without even looking at them.

According to current information, it is reported that due to the efforts of neighbors who helped evacuate residents during the fire, 54 out of 72 individuals were rescued, while 12 died and about 6 sustained injuries. It was difficult to rescue some of the deceased because they were tied up in their places. The efforts of the neighbors to go in every possible direction through the flames and rescue people were also appreciated by a monk from a nearby temple. However, unfortunately, those who were tied up died needlessly.

Another 6 individuals who sustained serious injuries in the accident are still receiving inpatient treatment at Horana Hospital. The magisterial inquiry into the incident was conducted this morning at the elder care home by Horana Magistrate Ms. Lakmini Vidanagamage.

The burnt bodies caught in the fire were also brought out in front of the Magistrate.

The group rescued from the fire was temporarily sheltered at Batagoda Junior College and later safely transferred to an elder care home in the Galpatha area with the intervention of army officers. The owner of the burnt elder care home has now been taken into police custody and is scheduled to be produced before the court.