Nine pensioners die in a fire at nursing home

11:28pm UK, Thursday August 06, 2009

At least nine pensioners have been killed in a fire which raged through a nursing home in Belgium.


Emergency services at the scene of the fire



Three more people are in a critical condition following the blaze in the north-eastern village of Melle.

Residents rushed out of the building as the fire quickly spread black smoke throughout the facility.

When emergency crews arrived, they had to treat many people on the lawn outside.

Most of the victims died of asphyxiation, officials said.

Around 30 people were treated for breathing difficulties after they escaped the blaze, which broke out about 8pm (local time).



Smoke seen coming from the home

The cause of the fire at the Kanunnik Petrus Jozef Triest nursing home was likely accidental, fire officials said.

They said it could have been from overheated equipment in the building.

But police are continuing their investigation before a definitive reason is given.

An official said the home, where around 90 people live, was not destroyed and would not need to be closed for the long-term.

Julie Clement, a spokeswoman for Belgium's east Flanders region, said: "There were nine victims, eight have been identified - they were all patients."

Melle is a city of about 10,000 people about 30 miles west of the capital Brussels.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


How awful! Those who died were probably much too old and frail to save themselves!
Those poor people....

Rest in Peace x

This is heartbreaking

That is so sad, poor things.

It is sad, but, as someone who won't see 70 again, I have to say it isn't as sad as children and young people not having a good life. At least we oldies have had our share.

On a lighter note, for a few years now I have had my Old Peoples Home picked out. A very elegant place in the centre of Vichy. Out the front door, across the zebra crossing into the Salon de Thé, round the corner to the Opera House and a stroll through the park to take the waters in the pump house.

Having read the OP I'll hang on for a while.

justagrannynow wrote:It is sad, but, as someone who won't see 70 again, I have to say it isn't as sad as children and young people not having a good life. At least we oldies have had our share.

On a lighter note, for a few years now I have had my Old Peoples Home picked out. A very elegant place in the centre of Vichy. Out the front door, across the zebra crossing into the Salon de Thé, round the corner to the Opera House and a stroll through the park to take the waters in the pump house.

Having read the OP I'll hang on for a while.

Gran!! You are too wild for that place they won't know what to do with you!!

It is sad when children and young people die Gran but it is also heartbreaking to know they were too frail to fight for their lives....