A deadly fire at an assisted living residence in Massachusetts claimed the lives of at least nine people and left more than 30 others injured, according to officials.
The fire erupted around 9:30 p.m. local time on Sunday at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, a town located approximately 60 miles south of Boston, said Jake Wark, a spokesperson with the state’s fire safety department.
Roughly 70 residents were staying at the facility when the flames broke out. Emergency crews were dispatched quickly to the scene, with about 50 firefighters working to extinguish the fire and rescue trapped residents.
City officials established a temporary shelter for those who survived the incident and were displaced by the fire.
According to Wark, firefighters successfully pulled many individuals from the burning building, which serves older adults who require occasional assistance but generally live on their own. Some victims were pronounced dead at the site, while others were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. One person was reported to be in critical condition.
Fall River’s fire chief, Jeffrey Bacon, shared harrowing details with the press, noting that rescuers found people hanging from windows when they arrived.
“This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Bacon said, telling reporters that the fire was under investigatio.
Additionally, five firefighters suffered injuries during the response, though none of their conditions were considered life-threatening, Wark added.
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