MADRID: Six residents of nursing homes in East Spain were killed after a broken fire at night, said the authorities Wednesday.
Valencia Regional Head, Ximo Puig, said that 17 more residents were hospitalized, with three in serious conditions.
Firefighters said that they saved 25 residents of a total of 70 evacuated from nursing homes in Moncada municipalities in North Valencia.
The head of the Jose Basset firefighters told the Spanish news agency Efe that the fire seemed to have started in the bedroom on the second floor.
He said that when firefighters arrived, “There are a large number of people who ask for help trapped by smoke.” Puig said that the Spanish civilian guardian police forces were investigating the cause of the fire, but the researchers believed it could be caused by a short circuit in the mechanism associated with oxygen tanks.
“The most important thing now is the recovery of those who have been injured,” Puig said.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent condolences to the family.
Sanchez tweeted in Spanish that he followed “tragic news from Moncada.
My condolences to the families of the victims.
We watch by paying attention to injured evolution.
All our support for families and cities.” The city authority in Moncada has called for three days of mourning, with a flying flag at half the staff at the City Hall building.
Officials called a minute silence during the local day.
The Spanish nursing house, like in many other countries, was devastated during the worst months of Covid-19 pandemic.