US: Devastating fire strikes assisted living facility in Massachusetts

Washington, July 14 (IANS) A devastating fire broke out at the Gabriel House assisted living center in Fall River, a city in southeastern Massachusetts, resulting in multiple injuries, according to Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon.

Emergency responders rushed to the scene as flames quickly engulfed parts of the facility, leading to a large-scale rescue operation. The exact number of casualties is yet to be confirmed.

Bacon said that when the crew arrived at the scene on Sunday night (local time) it witnessed heavy fire and several people hanging out of the building’s windows looking to be rescued at the 100-bedded living facility.

He said that the firefighters rescued multiple victims and took them to the hospital. However, no exact number of people injured or dead was reported.

“Unfortunately, at this time we have multiple fatalities and multiple injuries and we are still working to get those numbers to you,” Bacon said, addressing a press conference on Monday.

He stressed that approximately 50 firefighters were deployed to tackle the multiple-alarm fire, while mutual aid was called in to cover the station.

“We may have to bring in heavy machinery to start knocking the building down to get to some of the hotspots to get the fire out,” Bacon mentioned.

“The fire attack was very quick, it was just a very smokey fire.Our heart goes out to all the families and people that were injured here and lost their lives here," he added.

Reports suggest that five Fall River firefighters were taken to the nearby hospitals as well with minor injuries.

The fire department said that a family reunification centre has been set up at the chapel at St. Anne’s Hospital.

An official on scene reported that around 69 residents lived in the apartment complex located at 261 Oliver Street, near South Main Street in the city's South End.

According to Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan, the city opened the Timao Centre shelter on Bay Street, where evacuated residents were accommodated for the evening.

Fire Chief Bacon confirmed that investigators from the Fall River Fire Department and the State Fire Marshal's Office will investigate the cause of the fire over the next few hours.

--IANS

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