RIGA - The Cabinet of Ministers, at an emergency session today devoted to Friday's [Feb. 23] tragic fire in disabled people's home in Alsunga [Western Latvia], decided to designate Tuesday, February 27, a national day of mourning.
The government also decided to allocate 44,000 lats (62,606 euros) in aid to the dwellers of the disabled people's home Regi. The money has been granted from the contingency fund. The Cabinet has tasked the Finance, Welfare and Health Ministries with setting up a working group, which must evaluate within a month's time a possibility of building a new social care center, how much it will cost and where it can be built.
Latvian Welfare Minister Dagnija Stake has come up with an idea to open the disabled people's home on the premises of a former kindergarten located in a nearby village of Gudenieki, which would cost 646,000 lats.
The idea was greeted by Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis as "currently the best alternative"
Irena Hartmane, the director of the disabled people's home, asked whether the number of persons in duty at nights should be increased, said that one person had been perfectly enough on the 70 dwellers in Regi. Another issue is the competency of this person on duty on how to act in emergency situations.
"If the alarm is on, it should not be just switched off and ignored," she said. At the tragic night the alarm worked, but the person in duty just switched it of because it often used to operate without any reasons.
The director said that the person in duty had acted inadequately and it would have been possible to avoid such tragic consequences. Hartmane said that the previous alarm exercise had been carried out three years ago, but it was held during daytime and warm weather.
The fire that broke out at the disable people's home in Alsunga in western Latvia overnight Friday is thought to have claimed the lives of 25 people, while 42 residents of the center have been evacuated.
The blaze started in the historical Regi mansion that had been adjusted for the needs of the disabled people's home and is situated five kilometers from Alsunga. The building was erected in 1890. The fire must have spread from a small room in the attic, which was warmed with the help of electric heating device.
