Italy: 6 dead as huge fire rips through Milan retirement house

Milan [Italy], July 7 : At least six persons were killed and dozens more were injured after a fire broke out in a Milan retirement home in the early hours of Friday, the New York Times reported citing Italian authorities.

The injured were hospitalised and authorities said the actual toll can be much higher.

According to firefighters, the blaze started at around 1:20 am (local time), in a room on the first floor of the 'Casa dei Coniugi' retirement home in a southern residential neighborhood of Milan.

The cause of the fire is being investigated, firefighters city officials said, while dozens of people had been evacuated from the structure.

Milan Mayor, Giuseppe Sala said that the fire had been contained to one room of the structure, where two people were killed by the flames, NYT reported.

The fire was quickly brought under control, but the other victims died from smoke inhalation, the mayor said. "It is a heavy toll," he said in a televised interview. "It could have been much worse."

At least 80 people were taken to the hospital, with two in serious condition, 14 with serious but non-life threatening injuries and around 65 with light injuries, NYT reported citing Gianluca Chiodini, the head of Lombardy's emergency service.