A fire at a care home for elderly people with financial difficulties has killed 11 people in Japan.

The former three-storey inn, in the northern city of Sapporo, was engulfed in flames after the fire broke out on Wednesday night.

Image: Pictures showed an entirely burned out building

Footage showed flames and smoke pouring from the building, which was not fitted with sprinklers. The building was not required to have them under Japanese law.

Fire guts three storey care home

Witnesses described a "huge" blaze, with one telling reporters it was possible to feel the heat even from a large distance away.

The cause of the fire is not currently known but an investigation is under way.


Image: There were no sprinklers in the building, it is believed

Five people were rescued from the building, and three are still being treated in hospital.

The dead have been identified as eight men and three women. All 16 residents of the facility have been accounted for.

Image: Footage showed smoke and flames pouring from the building

They paid a monthly rent of around 36,000 yen (£230) to stay in the accommodation, which also provided them with help finding jobs and food.

According to local media, the home is usually unstaffed overnight.