Zaragoza, Spain (DT) – A fire at a nursing home near Zaragoza in northeastern Spain left at least 10 people dead and several others injured before firefighters managed to control the blaze, local authorities reported on Friday.
The alarm was raised just before 5 a.m. in Villafranca de Ebro, located about 28 kilometers (18 miles) from Zaragoza. Two individuals remain in critical condition, officials confirmed.
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At the time of the fire, there were 82 people in the residence, located in the town of Villafranca de Ebro, according to the regional government of Aragon.
The casualties resulted from inhalation of smoke, and the two people in critical condition were admitted to the Royo Villanova Hospital in Zaragoza.
According to the Zaragoza authorities, when firefighters arrived at the scene they found the fire spreading in one of the wings of the residence and a large amount of smoke.
At least 25 firefighters were involved in putting out the fire and evacuating the elderly.
Besides firefighters, members of the Civil Guard, Civil Protection volunteers, psychologists, social workers and health care from the emergency services, as well as medical personnel from health centers in nearby towns, were deployed to the scene.
The retirement home where the fire broke out is on the outskirts of Villafranca de Ebro, a town of about 800 inhabitants about 30 kilometers from Zaragoza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences to the victims on X, stating he was “shocked by the tragedy.”
The fire occurred only weeks after catastrophic flash floods in Valencia, which claimed over 200 lives and destroyed thousands of homes. The floods are regarded as the worst natural disaster in Spain’s recent history.
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