A tragic fire at a Spanish retirement home has claimed the lives of at least 10 people.
The fire broke out in Villafranca de Ebro, near Zaragoza in north-eastern Spain, early Friday morning in the facility, which housed over 80 residents, many with mental health conditions.
The facility, which opened 16 years ago as a retirement home, has since transitioned to specialize in care for residents with mental health conditions, reports the BBC.
Emergency services were called around 5 a.m. local time on Friday, and firefighters successfully extinguishing the fire.
The cause of the fire was not yet confirmed officially, however in a interview with radio station RNE Mayor of Villafranca de Ebro, Volga Ramírez, suggested that the fire may have started “in a mattress” in one of the rooms of the single-storey building.
She stressed that there “cannot be more bodies” as “everyone” was evacuated.
“Once all the smoke had cleared, we put them back inside because the firefighters told us it was safe,” she said.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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