Police identified the owner as Isuru Anushka of the Maupiya Sewana care home, who was ordered to be held until June 11 as investigations continue into Wednesday’s blaze, one of the deadliest in the country in decades.

Authorities said the facility was not authorised to operate as a care home and had failed to meet required regulatory standards. A magisterial inquiry was told that police are investigating breaches of regulations governing elderly care.

Of the victims, 11 died at the scene and one later succumbed to severe burns in hospital. Six others remain in care with smoke inhalation injuries. The youngest victim was a 17-year-old boy.

Forensic teams examining the single-storey building later recovered additional remains, raising the death toll from the initial report of five to 12. Police said early indications suggest the fire may have started in a storeroom containing stacked mattresses.

Survivors and nearby residents were interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation, while those rescued were relocated to a nearby government school.