Retirement Home
Six dead in Italy. A fire at a retirement home in Milan in the early hours of Friday killed six individuals, according to firefighters, with “numerous” residents hospitalized.
“Six people were killed, and numerous (others) were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.” “Firefighters who immediately evacuated the building saved dozens of people,” the fire department announced on Twitter.
An AFP photographer witnessed the removal of the bodies of two of the victims from the three-story structure, which was apparently housing 167 people when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire was unknown, according to the fire department.
Outside the building in the southern part of the Italian city, more than ten ambulances, different fire trucks, and a silver mortuary van could be seen.
According to Milan’s fire chief, Nicola Micele, eighty individuals were brought to the hospital, two of whom were battling for their lives.
According to Italian media, 14 others were in critical condition.
According to sources, five of the victims were ladies aged 69 to 87, with the sixth being a 73-year-old man.
The fire, according to Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, “started in one room housing two female residents,” both of whom were killed by the flames.
“It did not spread, even to neighboring rooms, but the smoke is just as lethal, and the four other victims died as a result of it.”
He claimed a member of staff raised the alarm about 1:20 a.m. (2320 GMT Thursday).
According to Fire Chief Micele, personnel raised the alarm after noticing smoke.
“Four firefighting teams were immediately dispatched.” They found themselves faced with very low visibility in a corridor inside one part of the building and flames in one room”.
“They focused on putting out the flames, then evacuating the guests.
“It was a particularly complicated evacuation due to the smoke and the fact that some of the guests were unable to walk.”
Residents had to be evacuated “by being carried out, almost one and at a time,” according to Mayor Sala.
The council was working hard to re-house residents in other suitable retirement homes as soon as possible.
The privately run “Casa per Coniugi” serves those who are unable to care for themselves but do not require hospitalization.