At least 10 dead in a fire at a nursing home in Spain

At least 10 people died in a fire at a nursing home in the Aragon region of northeastern Spain, emergency services announced Friday.

The fire broke out in the early hours of Friday morning in a residence for the elderly located in the town of Villafranca de Ebro, near Zaragoza, as indicated on X, though no further details were provided.

According to the Spanish press, 82 people were in the residence at the time of the fire, which has already been extinguished.

The mayor of the town, Volga Ramirez Gamiz, told reporters that the fire was concentrated in a single room, but the smoke was dispersed throughout the residence.

"It was in one room, with the luck that that room has a security door," but "smoke got out," she said.

"The cause of death of each of these 10 people I can not say yet, because it is under investigation, but in a phenomenon of this nature, normally the largest number of deaths is due to smoke inhalation," explained government delegate in Aragon, Fernando Beltran.

"Shocked by the tragic fire in the nursing home in Villafranca de Ebro that has cost the lives of 10 people. We are suspending the entire agenda as a sign of mourning. My deepest condolences to the families of the deceased," wrote the regional president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, on X.

According to its website, the Jardines de Villafranca residence was opened in 2008 as a home for the elderly but in recent times had specialized in elderly people with mental health problems.