South Africa retirement home fire ‘kills 18’

“The building was engulfed in flames and emergency personnel leaped into action to rescue the aged from the burning building,” emergency services spokesman Chris Botha said.

Emergency workers searched the home after the fire was extinguished and found the remains of 17 victims inside.

An 18th resident died of a suspected heart attack shortly after having been evacuated from the building, reports said.

One man, who reportedly suffered 40% burns in the fire, was airlifted to a hospital in Johannesburg.

Two others with serious injuries were taken to local hospitals, with paramedics treating the rest for smoke inhalation at the church.

A security guard told reporters of his efforts to rescue elderly residents from the burning building.

“Maybe I saved eight or nine people but some of them were too big and I could not carry them,” the guard told the news agency Agence France Presse.