Manado Retirement Home Fire Kills 16, Victims’ Identification Ongoing

Manado: A fire at a retirement home in Manado City, North Sulawesi, has killed 16 residents, with authorities still working to identify the victims and determine the cause of the blaze, police said on Tuesday.

North Sulawesi Police Public Relations Chief Commissioner Alamsyah Hasibuan said that 15 of the victims were burned beyond recognition, complicating the identification process.

“The fire claimed 16 lives, and 15 of the victims can no longer be visually identified,” Hasibuan said, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.

He said the provincial police chief has ordered the deployment of specialized teams to handle both victim identification and the fire investigation.

For identification purposes, police are collecting antemortem data and DNA samples from the victims’ families. However, due to the absence of DNA analysis facilities in North Sulawesi, the samples will be sent to Jakarta.

“We need time. We expect all samples to be collected today and sent to Jakarta this evening,” Hasibuan said.

Meanwhile, Manado Police Chief Commissioner Irham Halid said investigators remain at the scene to uncover the cause of the fire.

“We are being assisted by the North Sulawesi provincial police. The investigation is ongoing, and we hope to determine the cause soon,” Halid said.

The fire broke out at the Damai retirement home in Paal Dua Sub-district, Manado, at around 8:36 p.m. local time on Sunday, December 28. Municipal authorities dispatched three fire engines and managed to extinguish the blaze by 9:30 p.m.

Police officers were deployed to secure the area, while injured victims were evacuated to Manado City Hospital and Permata Bunda Hospital. The bodies of the 16 victims were transported to Bhayangkara Hospital for further handling.

Separately, President Prabowo Subianto’s special envoy for energy, Hasjim Djojohadikusumo, has donated Rp250 million to support the reconstruction of the retirement home. The donation was confirmed by North Sulawesi Governor’s special staff member Recky Langie on Monday, December 29.