Manado, 29 Dec

A fire at an Indonesian retirement home killed 16 older people on Sunday evening, police said.

The fire in the single-story house in Manado, Indonesia's North Sulawesi Province, started while the residents were asleep, police said Monday.

“The team on the ground has confirmed that the death toll currently is 16," North Sulawesi police spokesperson Alamsyah Hasibuan said. "Fifteen of them were burned to death, while one victim's body remains intact."

There were 15 survivors who were treated at two hospitals in Manado, Hasibuan said.

The bodies of victims were taken to a hospital for identification with the assistance of families, officials said.

Firefighters with six trucks needed more than two hours to extinguish the blaze after nearby residents reported the fire to emergency services, officials said.

Television reports Sunday showed bright flames casting an orange glow and filling the night air with smoke. Body bags were lined up outside the retirement home.

Neighbours reportedly helped rescue several residents of the retirement home.

An initial police report said an electrical fault caused the fire, but officials later said the cause was still under investigation.