A fire in a retirement home known as the “Home of the Spouses,” in Milan, Italy resulted in six deaths and nearly 80 injuries.
The incident originated in a room on the first floor of the residential building, located in the Corvetto neighborhood.
Giuseppe Sala, the Mayor of Milan, was at the site of the disaster. He reported that two fatalities occurred due to burns suffered in the residents’ rooms. Toxic fumes produced by the fire caused the remaining four deaths. With the home sheltering 167 residents, the Mayor underlined the seriousness of the situation, albeit acknowledging the aftermath could have been even more catastrophic.
Firefighters responded promptly to the scene soon after 1 am, succeeding in containing the fire before it could ravage other parts of the building. Fire Chief Nicola Miceli explained that around 80 people, many wheelchair-dependent, were rescued and 80 or so taken to the hospital. Miceli added that the dense smoke and residents’ mobility issues complicated the rescue operation.
A neighbor named Lucia praised the rescuers’ bravery, narrating how the elderly residents had to cover their faces with clothing to prevent inhalation of the smoke. Meanwhile, Luca Cari, a representative for the firefighters, declared an investigation into the cause of the fire is in progress, hinting that initial evidence is leaning towards an accidental trigger.