At least ten people dead after fire at Spanish retirement home

At least ten people have died after a fire broke out at a retirement home in the northern Spanish city of Zaragoza, local officials have said.

Two people are in critical condition after the blaze broke out around 5am on Friday in the town of Villafranca de Ebro.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, local media reported.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Local media reports that 82 people were living in the retirement home, which treated people suffering from dementia and mental health issues.

Volga Ramírez, the mayor of Villafranca de Ebro, told reporters outside the home that smoke inhalation was the likely cause of death.

“It is due to smoke inhalation,” Ramírez said on Friday morning, “not because they were burned.”

Jorge Azcón, head of the regional government of Aragon, told reporters outside the retirement home that an investigation would be opened into the cause of the fire.

He added that the priority on the scene currently is to transfer the remaining uninjured residents to other facilities.

Residents are moved out of the retirement home. / Credit: AP

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “shocked by the tragedy”.

“I have just spoken with Aragon’s president, Jorge Azcón, to express my love and condolences to the families and friends of those who have died, to the care home workers and to the people of Aragon,” he said on Friday

“I hope that all those who are in a serious condition recover as soon as possible.”

Azcón also announced on X that all government events in the Aragon region were cancelled for the day.

The fire comes just weeks after devastating flash floods in the Spanish region of Valencia killed more than 200 people and destroyed thousands of homes.