An early-morning fire at a retirement home in Milan turned deadly Friday, killing six residents and injuring 80 more, officials reportedly say.
The fire began at approximately 1 a.m. and initiated on the first floor of Casa dei Coniugi, which houses nearly 200 residents in total, The Guardian reported. Two of the residents perished in the fire, while four others died due to smoke inhalation, according to the outlet.
An overnight fire in a retirement home in Milan killed six people and injured around 80, including three who are in a critical condition, Italian authorities said https://t.co/BSsbD4C6Fo pic.twitter.com/1VGm1cGwfu
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 7, 2023
Out of the 80 residents reportedly injured in the blaze and subsequently hospitalized, two were considered to be in serious condition. “We hope those who are in hospital in a delicate situation will not be added to the toll,” Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told reporters, according to the outlet.
“It could have been (even) worse. Having said that, six dead is a very heavy death toll,” Sala added, according to Reuters. (RELATED: Second Floor Of New York Nursing Home Collapses After Catching Fire)
The fire is believed to have begun in one of the bedrooms before spreading throughout the rest of the first floor, Milan Fire Chief Nicola Miceli reportedly said. A service worker first noticed the fire and subsequently contacted authorities. Four teams of firefighters were called to extinguish the blaze, according to The Guardian.
“It was very complex as the smoke limited the visibility,” Miceli said of their efforts.
Rescue efforts were challenging given the limited mobility of the residents, Sala said. “Residents had to be carried out one by one. Work is being done to quickly relocate people who are very often not self-sufficient,” he told The Guardian.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, though it is believed to have been accidental, Reuters reported, citing fire department spokesperson Luca Cari.