6 dead, 81 critical as fire breaks out at Italy retirement home

Milan: Six persons lost their lives while 81 others were admitted to hospital after a fire broke out in a room in a retirement home in the city of Milan in Italy. The alarm was raised in the early hours on Friday at the Casa dei Coniugi home for older people.

The blaze was quickly controlled by the fire service personnel but the rescuers had to bring everyone out one by one by the arm. Speaking to reporters, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said, six deaths is a very heavy toll but it could have been worse. All the evidence pointed to the fire taking hold in a room where two women had been living, he added.

They were killed by the fire while the four other deaths were caused by smoke inhalation.

According to media reports, five of the six victims were women. The retirement home, in the Corvetto area of southern Milan, housed 167 people who required differing levels of care. It is owned by the city authority but run by a group that manages hundreds of residences across the country.