A fire in a retirement home in Villafranca de Ebro, a town in northeastern Spain, has killed at least ten people. (Illustrative image)
AFP
A violent fire left at least ten dead and two seriously injured on Friday in a residence for the elderly and people with mental disorders near Zaragoza, in northeastern Spain.
According to the authorities, the fire broke out around 5 a.m., for a reason still unknown, in the Jardines de Villafranca residence, in Villafranca de Ebro, a village of 840 inhabitants located in the heart of the Aragon region.
“At least ten people died in the fire” of this “retirement home”, which “occurred at dawn” near Zaragoza, capital of the Aragonese region, the emergency services indicated on the network social
The mayor of Villafranca de Ebro, Volga Ramirez Gamiz, said that 82 people were inside the residence when the fire started. According to the first elements, it is a mattress which could have caught fire in the room of a resident, she specified on the radio Cadena Ser.
“I cannot yet say what is the cause of the death of each of these 10 people, because it is the subject of an investigation,” the government delegate in Aragon, Fernando Beltrán, assured journalists. .
“But in a phenomenon of this nature, the majority of deaths are generally due to smoke inhalation,” he added, specifying that the residence accommodated people suffering from “reduced mobility or a pathology.
Only two employees present
In a message on X, the president of the Aragonese region, Jorge Azcón, said he was “shocked” by this “tragic fire”. “My most sincere condolences to the families of the deceased,” wrote the conservative leader, announcing to “suspend” his agenda.
“All my affection to the families and colleagues of the deceased, to the workers of the center and to all the Aragonese people. I hope that people in serious condition will recover as quickly as possible,” reacted Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The Jardines de Villafranca residence was inaugurated in 2008, according to information published on its website. This retirement home has recently also specialized in welcoming people suffering from mental health problems.
If the causes of the fire were not yet known Friday morning, the possible lack of staff in this establishment was highlighted by the authorities, who indicated that only two employees were on site at the time of the disaster.
“An investigation is underway, which will lead to the discovery of the origin, reason and circumstances” of the fire, underlined the Minister of Territorial Policy Ángel Víctor Torres on public television TVE, refusing to accept this. stage of pronouncing on this point.
According to authorities, the residents were transferred to other facilities.
Several tragic fires have already occurred in recent years in Spanish retirement homes.
In January 2022, six elderly people died while sleeping in a medical residence in the town of Moncada, near Valencia. And last February, three people died in a fire at a retirement home in Madrid.
(afp)
