A 93-year-old man has died and 22 people were injured in a fire that broke out at a nursing home in northeastern Spain, authorities announced today.
The fire started in a ground-floor room last night around 11:00 PM at a nursing home in Zaragoza, the local emergency service stated on social media platform X.
There were two men in the room where the fire began, one of whom died on the spot. He was disabled and unable to exit, Zaragoza Mayor Natalia Chueca told reporters. According to the nursing home director, the fire, whose origin is still under investigation, may have been caused by an overheated battery charger for an electric wheelchair.
Of the 22 injured, one is a 46-year-old emergency service worker. They were all transported to the hospital, with injuries primarily resulting from smoke inhalation.
The nursing home housed 132 residents. Emergency services and local residents assisted in the evacuation, with some individuals needing to be rescued through broken windows, according to local media reports. One neighbor described smashing thick glass windows with a hammer and bar stools to enter and help with the evacuation.
