A fire in a nursing home in Italy has killed 6 residents and injured some 80 others

MILAN -- A fire that broke out in a Milan nursing home early Friday killed six of the residents and injured about 80 others, Italian firefighters said.

Firefighters said the blaze began about 1:30 a.m., apparently in the room of two female residents, who were among the dead. Also dead were three other women and a man.

Among the injured, two were in critical condition, while most of the others were being treated for smoke inhalation, firefighters told Italian state radio.

Luca Cari, a spokesperson for Italy’s national firefighters corps, said firefighters were investigating the cause of the blaze, which was contained by early morning.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who came to the scene, told reporters that the 100 or so residents of the nursing home who weren’t injured were being transferred to other facilities in the northern Italian city.

People who lived nearby told state radio that they saw people inside at the windows holding cloths to their faces against the smoke.

Rome daily La Repubblica said many of the residents have Alzheimer's disease.