Fire at Boston-area senior living facility kills at least nine
About 70 people lived at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River. PHOTO: BOSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
At least nine people died and more than 30 others were injured when a fire broke out at a Boston-area assisted-living center on Sunday night, authorities said.
About 70 people lived at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, where the fire started around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday (0130 GMT Monday), according to Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
Wark said approximately 50 firefighters responded to the incident in Fall River, located about 60 miles south of Boston. The city opened a temporary shelter for surviving residents.
Heavy fire in the attic through, all firefighters have been ordered to out of the building . pic.twitter.com/Ky8Pto4qdZ
Firefighters rescued numerous occupants of the facility, which is designed for older individuals to live independently with staff assistance. Several residents were declared dead at the scene, while many others were transported to hospitals. One person was reported to be in critical condition.
A busy 24 hours for our firefighters, many of them working at the 3 alarm fire on Corwin st. in the day and the 4 alarm fire that evening on Poplar st. A great job by all our firefighters and Fire Alarm Operators . pic.twitter.com/zOZeCvPWLa
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told the media on Monday that some individuals were hanging from windows when firefighters arrived, according to the Boston Globe.
“This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Bacon said, adding that the fire was under investigation.
Five firefighters sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Wark said.