Neeltje Valkay, 90, becomes ninth nursing home victim

Quakers Hill Nursing Home

Nine people are now dead after the tragic Quakers Hill Nursing Home blaze. Picture: John Grainger
Source: The Daily Telegraph





THE Quakers Hill fire has claimed its ninth victim, amid calls for the boss of the nursing home’s operating company to resign.


Neeltje Valkay, 90, became the latest person to die as a result of the fire at the nursing home in Sydney’s west on Friday morning.

She died at Liverpool Hospital at 9.20am (AEDT) on Tuesday, police said.

Police also confirmed the name of the eighth person to die as 96-year-old Doris Mercy Becke.

A male nurse, Roger Dean, has been charged with murder after two separate fires caused mayhem at the facility late last week.

Three people died instantly and a fourth shortly thereafter. Since then, five others have perished.

Ms Becke, who was admitted to Blacktown Hospital Intensive Care Unit on Friday, died overnight from complications from injuries suffered in the fire.

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On Monday, 82-year-old Ceasar Galea died at Hawkesbury Hospital and Urbana Alipio, 79, died on Sunday in Liverpool Hospital.

On Saturday morning Ella Wood, 97, died at Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

Two people who died during the fire on Friday morning have not yet been formally identified, The Daily Telegraph reports.

The fire broke out at the aged care facility on Hambledon Road, Quakers Hill, about 5am on Friday.

Forensic examination of the scene continue today.

Meanwhile the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association has called on Gary Barnier, the head of Domain Principal Group, which runs the home, to resign.

Association spokesman Paul Versteege said Mr Barnier was not suited to work in the aged care industry.

“He is putting the shareholders before his residents and we think that somebody working in aged care should put the wellbeing of the residents and patients in their care first.”

Mr Barnier said on Monday the home’s fire management strategy had worked correctly when the blaze broke out in the early hours of Friday.

However, he admitted the nursing home did not have sprinklers.

Mr Versteege said the absence of a sprinkler system in a 100-bed facility was irresponsible.

Mr Barnier did not return calls from AAP and a spokeswoman declined to comment when contacted.

– with The Daily Telegraph and AAP

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