Background on the Incident
On Friday night around 11:00 PM, a tragic fire broke out in a low-lying room of a nursing home in Zaragoza, Spain. The incident resulted in the unfortunate death of a 93-year-old man and left 22 others hospitalized due to smoke inhalation injuries.
Key Details of the Incident
- Location: A nursing home in Zaragoza, a city in northeastern Spain.
- Time: Approximately 11:00 PM on Friday.
- Victims: One male resident, aged 93, died in the fire. Twenty-two others were hospitalized with varying degrees of smoke inhalation injuries.
- Room Occupants: The deceased man and another male resident were in the room where the fire started. The 93-year-old was disabled and unable to escape.
- Community Involvement: Local residents assisted in the evacuation efforts, breaking windows to rescue some of the nursing home residents.
Community Response and Authorities’ Statements
Zaragoza’s mayor, Natalia Chueca, confirmed that the two men residing in the room included the deceased individual. She highlighted his disability as a factor preventing him from escaping.
Among those hospitalized were a 46-year-old neighbor who joined the rescue efforts. The regional government’s head, Jorge Azcón, expressed gratitude to the community for their assistance. He acknowledged that without their help, the situation could have been far worse.
“We saw smoke and decided to intervene. We broke the window glass with a crowbar, an axe, or whatever we could find. We used chairs from nearby bars to help,” said Jesús Vadorrey to Aragón TV.
“It was agonizing because the windows were thick, and people were trapped inside, suffocating,” Vadorrey added.
Investigation and Possible Cause
The regional police have initiated an investigation into the fire’s cause. The nursing home director suggested that the incident might have originated from the overheating of an electric wheelchair’s battery charger.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who was affected? One 93-year-old man died, and 22 others were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation injuries.
- What caused the fire? Authorities suspect that it may have been due to the overheating of an electric wheelchair’s battery charger.
- How did the community respond? Local residents collaborated with firefighters to evacuate nursing home residents, breaking windows to gain access.
- What acknowledgments were made by authorities? Regional government head Jorge Azcón expressed gratitude to the community for their assistance in minimizing potential losses.
