In a heartbreaking tragedy, 10 people have died after a fire broke out at a nursing home in Spain. On Friday, Jorge Azcón, the head of the regional government of Aragon, confirmed the tragic deaths. The blaze broke out in the early morning hours at the Villafranca de Ebro nursing home.
When it comes to fires, most people look to the heat and high temperatures as the main concerns. But there's another, often overlooked, killer that's just as devastating. And that's smoke inhalation. Sadly, the 10 people, who died in the nursing home, all died from smoke inhalation. Jorge wrote a tribute to the deceased.
"In honor of their memory, I have to first declare official mourning in the Autonomous Community of Aragon for one day," he wrote in Spanish on X (formerly known as Twitter). "The mourning will begin at midnight on November 16 and end at midnight on November 17."
He added, "Second, during mourning, official flags in public buildings of the Autonomous Community of Aragon will fly at half-mast."
BBC reports there were 82 people at the nursing home when the blaze broke out. In addition to the 10 deaths, two people are in critical condition. Officials say that the nursing home housed those with dementia and mental illnesses in addition to the elderly.
Fire At Nursing Home
"There are people from all walks of life, with many problems. Very young people, because there are people as young as 25 years old. In other words, we are not just talking about older people," the town's mayor, Volga Ramírez Gamiz, told reporters, per The Local es.
Authorities believe that the fire started after a mattress in the room caught fire. While the actual fire didn't spread too much, it caused intense smoke that killed several people
"It is due to smoke inhalation," the mayor said, "not because they were burned."
"Shocked by the tragedy that occurred this morning in a nursing home in Zaragoza," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote in Spanish on X. "I have just spoken with the President of Aragon, @Jorge_Azcon, to convey all my love and condolences to the families and colleagues of the deceased, to the workers of the center and to all the Aragonese."
"I hope that those who are in serious condition recover as soon as possible," he added.
