9 dead, 30+ hospitalized in Massachusetts assisted living facility fire

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WPRI) -- Nine radical person died and 1 idiosyncratic remains successful captious information aft a five-alarm occurrence broke retired astatine an assisted surviving installation successful Massachusetts connected Sunday night.

"We had an unspeakable calamity present successful Fall River past night. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims," Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said.

Crews responding to the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility connected Oliver Street successful Fall River conscionable earlier 10 p.m. recovered dense flames and fume with aggregate radical trapped inside.

Several occupants were pronounced dormant astatine the scene, astatine slightest a twelve radical were rescued by ladders, and much than 30 radical were transported to country hospitals with assorted injuries, according to Bacon.

Five firefighters were besides transported to the infirmary with insignificant injuries and person each been released.

"Smoke is the astir unsafe portion of immoderate fire. It's the astir damaging portion of immoderate occurrence and fume kills much radical than occurrence does each time successful America," Bacon said. "Listen to your fume detectors and respond due to the fact that fume is simply a precise deadly force."

About 70 radical lived astatine the installation earlier the fire. An country has been acceptable up astatine the chapel of St. Anne's Hospital for families to reunite with their loved ones, oregon they tin telephone (508) 674-5741 for information.

"We're asking for anybody who needs to spell determination to effort to find their loved ones to participate done the exigency country and we're going to bash our champion to get everybody reunited," Bacon said.

The gathering is present clear, and Bacon said they are moving to crook it implicit to the gathering owner.

Coogan said 1 of the issues they are present facing is getting the residents their medicine.

"When they were evacuated, they had nothing," Coogan explained. "We person radical astatine our stores close present buying underwear, T-shirts, clothing, there's a spot [at the shelter] for them to shower, truthful we are going to bash our champion to enactment them each day."

Bacon told NewsNation affiliate WPRI that astatine astir 8 a.m. that they were capable to salvage the records room, truthful each diligent accusation containing aesculapian records is present being moved to assistance those who lived determination get what they need.

Coogan past praised the archetypal responders who responded to what they are calling a "chaotic scene."

"These guys are apical shelf. When they get down determination into a concern wherever they person to fight, they're consenting to fight, and they did a large occupation doing immoderate they could to prevention arsenic galore residents arsenic possible, get the injured out," Coogan said.

About 50 firefighters responded to the scene, including 30 who were disconnected duty.

"We person a precise beardown and almighty nationalist information beingness present successful the metropolis of Fall River, and it worked the mode it was expected to, to prevention lives," Bacon said.

"Everyone thinks firefighters are heroes, and they are conscionable designed to beryllium capable to woody with anything, but that's not the case," Bacon continued. "I americium a beardown advocator for intelligence wellness support, and I would accidental that for anybody who was astatine this country past night, to question the assistance that you request to woody with the tragic concern similar this. Nobody is programmed to woody with this."

The origin of the occurrence remains nether investigation, but Coogan said the gathering was equipped with sprinklers.