According to Spanish media, 82 people were inside the establishment, the Jardines de Villafranca retirement home, when the disaster broke out at 5 a.m. (4 a.m. GMT) for unknown reasons. According to the first elements, it is a mattress which could have caught fire in the room of a resident, declared the mayor of Villafranca de Ebro, Volga Ramirez Gamiz.
“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 on site
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.
