Fire in Spanish nursing home kills at least 10 people

At least ten people have died and two are in critical condition after a fire broke out at a nursing home in Spain’s northeastern Zaragoza region on Friday.

The blaze broke out on Friday morning in the Jardines de Villafranca residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro, which is located about 20 minutes from the city of Zaragoza.

There were 82 people inside the nursing home at the time of the fire, including residents, nurses and support staff, the local government said. The total number of injured or hurt is unknown, but two people have been hospitalised and are in critical condition.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze on Friday morning and the cause of the fire is now under investigation, according to the authorities. Health workers, civil protection volunteers, police, psychologists, social workers are all on the scene to provide support.

Fernando Beltrán, government delegate for the surrounding Aragón region, said the fire started in one of the rooms of the residence, and that the deaths were likely due to smoke inhalation.

“It’s a devastating outcome,” he told reporters on Friday morning.

Writing on X, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked by the tragedy”.

“I hope that the people in serious condition recover as soon as possible,” he wrote.