At least 10 people have been killed and several others injured in a fire that broke out at a retirement home near Zaragoza in northeastern Spain, according to emergency services.
The fire started early on Friday morning in the town of Villafranca de Ebro, where more than 80 people were residing at the facility at the time. The center, which opened 16 years ago as a retirement home, has since specialized in providing care for residents with mental health issues, according to local reports.
Emergency services were alerted around 05:00 (04:00 GMT) on Friday, and firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze. The ages of the victims have not yet been confirmed.
Two individuals were hospitalized, including one in critical condition, as reported by the mayor of Villafranca de Ebro to Spanish radio. Mayor Volga Ramírez told Cadena Ser that the fire may have been caused by a mattress catching fire in one of the rooms.
Witnesses indicated that while the building, a single-storey structure, suffered minimal fire damage, smoke inhalation appears to be the main cause of the high 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.