TERRIFIED residents caught in a fierce blaze at a nursing home made frantic phone calls to their families, pleading for assistance as smoke engulfed their rooms.
Screams echoed through the night as people stuck inside leaned out of their windows and cried out for rescue.
The horror unfolded late Sunday at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, about 50 miles south of Boston.
Nine people died, and at least 30 others were rushed to the hospital, officials said.
Some of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while others died later at area hospitals.
One woman said her father called her from inside the burning building, convinced he was going to die as smoke surrounded him.
“He was on the floor talking to me, and I am crying telling him, ‘Break the window. Try to break it,” Melanie told ABC local affiliate WCVB.
“He said, ‘It is open, but they are not hearing me. I am going to die in here.'”
It is unclear if the woman’s father survived the blaze.
The fire broke out around 9:50 pm, triggering a five-alarm response that brought in about 50 firefighters, including 30 who were off-duty.
Crews arrived to find thick smoke pouring out of the building and residents hanging out of windows screaming for help.
Roughly 70 residents were inside the facility when the fire started.
Firefighters used ladders to pull people from windows and carried others out of the building.
“Approximately a dozen non-ambulatory residents were physically carried out by our officers,” Fall River police said.
“Their bravery and quick action undoubtedly saved many lives.”
Firefighters were alerted by an automated alarm and rushed to the scene.
Fire chief’s full statement
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon released the following statement after a fire resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals at Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility on Sunday night:
This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community.
On behalf of the Fall River Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones who are grieving this morning.
The flames were mostly confined to one wing of the building, but smoke spread throughout the entire facility.
Five firefighters were also injured and later released from the hospital.
“This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said in a statement.
“To the family and friends of those who perished, I express my condolences and sympathy on behalf of the commonwealth,” stated Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Mayor Paul Coogan said the police and fire departments acted heroically in the face of “indescribable tragedy.”
Displaced residents were taken to a local shelter following the chaos.
A family reunification center has been set up at the Timao Center for those seeking information.
Gabriel House first opened in 1999 and includes 100 units, according to state records.
It’s designed to support seniors who live independently but need help with daily tasks.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by state and local authorities.
