Six dead, about 80 injured in Italy nursing home fire

A fire that broke out in a Milan nursing home killed six residents and injured about 80 others, Italian firefighters said.

The blaze apparently began in the room of two female residents who were among the dead, firefighters said.

A man and three other women also died.

Two of the people injured were in critical condition, while most of the others were treated for smoke inhalation, firefighters told Italian state radio.

Luca Cari, a spokesperson for Italy’s national firefighters corps, said firefighters were investigating the cause.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told reporters at the scene that about 100 uninjured residents were being transferred to other facilities in the northern Italian city.

People who lived nearby told reporters for the state radio service that they saw people inside the nursing home standing at the windows holding cloths to their faces against the smoke.

Rome daily newspaper La Repubblica said many of the residents have Alzheimer’s disease.