Nursing home fire kills six residents and injures 80 others in Italy

A fire truck outside the "Casa per Coniugi" nursing home where an overnight fire killed six people in Milan, Italy. Photo / AP

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

The blaze began about 1.30am local time, apparently 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.

The fire was contained by early morning. Luca Cari, a spokesman for Italy’s national firefighters corps, said firefighters were investigating the cause.

A broken window at the "Casa per Coniugi" nursing home after a fatal fire. Photo / AP

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.