At least ten people died in a fire at a nursing home in northern Spain early Friday morning, while two were hospitalised with serious injuries, authorities said.
The fire started around 5 a.m. local time in the town of Villafranca de Ebro for reasons still under investigation. Firefighters arrived on the scene soon after and extinguished the blaze, but discovered the bodies of 10 people who had died from smoke inhalation.
It has not yet been determined if all of the victims were residents of the home and if any of the staff died.
The nursing home was home to 82 people, Mayor Volga Ramirez told Spanish national radio. He said at least two staff members were on site at the time of the fire and were trying to fight the blaze, although smoke was spreading very quickly through the building, he said.
The mayor suggested that the fire may have been started by a mattress igniting in one of the rooms, but the official cause of the blaze is not yet known. The mayor clarified:
Once all the smoke cleared, we put the occupants back inside because the fire department said it was safe.
Firefighters, paramedics and police remain at the scene, a regional government spokesman said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
