Ten dead in fire at Spanish retirement home

KATHMANDU: At least 10 people have been killed and others hurt in a fire that broke out at a retirement home near Zaragoza in north-eastern Spain, emergency services say.

The fire broke out in the town of Villafranca de Ebro early on Friday morning and local officials said more than 80 people were living in the home at the time.

The centre opened 16 years ago as a retirement home, according to local reports, but has since specialised in care for residents with mental health problems.

Emergency services were alerted at about 05:00 (04:00 GMT) on Friday and firefighters were able to put out the fire.

The ages of those who died are not yet known.

Two other people were taken to hospital, including one person whose condition was described as critical, the mayor of Villafranca de Ebro told Spanish radio.

Volga Ramírez told Cadena Ser that the tragedy may have been caused by a mattress on fire in one of the rooms.

Witnesses said there was little fire damage to the single-storey building and smoke inhalation is being blamed for the large number of fatalities.

“My husband went in to get people out. You couldn’t even breathe because of the smoke,” the mayor told reporters.

The Spanish government’s delegate in Aragón region, Fernando Beltrán, paid his condolences to the victims and said they would continue to monitor the progress of those in hospital and the investigation into the cause of the fire.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also expressed his dismay and shock at the disaster.

Nine years ago a fatal fire left nine people dead at another retirement home in the Zaragoza area.

-BBC