Fire kills four residents at Sydney nursing home

Fire kills four residents at Sydney nursing home

2011-11-18 16:29:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

SYDNEY (BNO NEWS) -- Four elderly residents were killed on early Friday morning when a fire broke out at a nursing home in the Australian city of Sydney, police said. More than 30 others were injured.

The fire broke out just before 5 a.m. local time at Quakers Hills in northwest Sydney, the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales (NSW). About 100 firefighters from throughout western Sydney responded after an automatic fire alarm was activated.

Fire & Rescue NSW Commissioner Greg Mullins said the first fire crews arrived within six minutes of the fire alarm going off. "Firefighters found a room well alight and a whole wing of the nursing home full of black smoke," he said.

Mullins said firefighters in breathing apparatus, assisted by police and ambulance paramedics, rescued about 100 residents while working to extinguish the fire. "It was a firefighters' worst nightmare - a fire involving dozens of frail, elderly people, many of whom could not walk," he said.

The Commissioner added: "The smoke was so thick and black that firefighters couldn't see their hands in front of their face. There were also tiles falling on top of them from the burning roof."

Three elderly residents were confirmed dead at the scene and a fourth resident died later on Friday while undergoing treatment at a local hospital. A total of 31 people were injured and distributed across ten hospitals in Sydney to manage capacity.

Thirteen of the victims were reported to be in intensive-care units (ICUs), including at least four who are suffering from severe burns. "It could have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for the quick actions of all emergency services personnel and nursing home staff, who did an outstanding job in the first vital minutes," Mullins said.

It was not immediately known what may have caused the fire. Police said it has formed Strike Force Westall - led by the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad - to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

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