Image
Emergency services respond to the scene of a senior center roof collapse in Nijmegen, Feb 20, 2015. (photo: @ikbencor / Twitter)
- Credit:
Emergency services respond to the scene of a senior center roof collapse in Nijmegen, Feb 20, 2015. (photo: @ikbencor / Twitter)
Wednesday, 18 March 2015 - 15:50
Fourth senior dies after retirement home fire
A fourth person has died a month after a fire at a Nijmegen retirement home, NRC reports. The 80-year-old resident of the home died of injuries caused after a fire on February 20 spread from a snack bar to the senior complex above it.
The fire's spread to the retirement home caused injuries to 16 people, nine of whom were seriously hurt. Two other elderly women and an elderly man have also since died from the fire's effects.
Nijmegen's Mayor Hubert Bruls expressed his condolences on learning about the passing of the fourth victim. It is "terrible news," he told news agency ANP.
A total of 71 residences were evacuated in the fire, which rendered the retirement home uninhabitable. Residents are now staying with friends and family and it remains unclear how long it will take for them to be able to return to their homes. Just after the fire, the municipality, together with housing associations, began seeking alternative housing.