[kellyhound]

Eighteen people were killed and 12 others injured in a fire at a rehabilitation clinic in the Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil on Friday.

The fire, which was reported at 3:24 p.m. local time (2024 GMT) to the country's emergency line ECU 911, occurred at the "New Life" clinic which houses alcoholics and drug addicts. At least 60 firefighters were sent to combat the blaze.

Most of the victims died of suffocation.

Authorities have not disclosed the cause of the fire, though media quoted local police as saying that someone at the clinic might have set a mattress on fire on purpose.

Rehabilitation clinics for alcoholics and drug addicts in Ecuador are mostly privately run and a significant number of them remain unlicensed and potential fire hazards.

Police are seeking the arrest of the owners and operators of the clinic.

[William May]

What's everyone whining about? Their addictions are cured, right?

[docfr8]

Looks like early graduation from the program

[cardsharksam]

Not the way I'd wanna be cured of my addiction but at least it works they are no longer addicts

[AngelAssassin]

Originally Posted by William May ↗

What's everyone whining about? Their addictions are cured, right?

No, their addictions are not cured. They will forever be known as ‘addicted’ because they were at a rehab.
Even after ‘graduating’ or leaving rehab they are still addicts, just not using.

[RiversEdge]

alcoholic breath kept it going longer...

[gringo1965]

who cares

[assf6674]

Mattress-cide returns

[icehole]

that's sucks, died while trying to heal yourself