Several Killed in Fire at Massachusetts Assisted Living Facility

U.S.|Several Killed in Fire at Massachusetts Assisted Living Facility

Several people were killed after a large fire broke out at an assisted living facility in the city of Fall River, Mass., on Sunday night, in what the local fire chief called an “unfathomable tragedy.”

The Fall River Fire Department responded to reports of a fire at Gabriel House, an assisted living facility, at about 9:30 p.m. Eastern time, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said at a news conference.

Firefighters encountered thick smoke and flames, and residents who were screaming for help out of windows, Chief Bacon said.

“It was a tricky and chaotic scene” as firefighters struggled to rescue people and douse the blaze, Chief Bacon said. About 50 firefighters were involved, including every firefighter on duty in the city, he added.

Multiple residents were pronounced dead at the scene, and many more were hospitalized, Jake Wark, a public information officer at the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, said.

“We’re at the scene of a pretty unfathomable tragedy tonight,” Chief Bacon said.

Officials did not immediately release the number of victims. Chief Bacon said five firefighters had suffered dehydration or minor injuries.

Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to records from the state of Massachusetts. About 70 residents had been living in the facility before the fire, and all of them were displaced, Mr. Wark said. He added that the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Fall River, a city of about 94,000 people, is near the border with Rhode Island.

This is a developing story.