France care home fire leaves three elderly residents fighting for life

Three people in their 80s are in critical condition after a fire broke out at a care home near Toulouse overnight, injuring a total of 17 people.

The blaze started shortly before 03:00 local time on August 4 at the ground floor of a retirement home in L’Isle-Jourdain, in the Gers department, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

About 70 firefighters and 25 emergency vehicles were deployed to tackle the incident, which began after a mattress caught fire and produced large amounts of smoke throughout the upper floors, officials said.

Two men, aged 85, and a woman, aged 86, were taken to Purpan Hospital in Toulouse after suffering serious smoke inhalation.

Fourteen other people were injured, six of whom were also taken to the hospital with less severe conditions.

At the time of the fire, 81 people were inside the building — 75 residents and six staff members. The local fire service said the facility would be unusable for the time being due to smoke damage.

France’s Minister for Autonomy and Disability, Charlotte Parmentier Lecocq, said she was “closely monitoring” the situation and expressed hopes for the swift recovery of those most seriously affected.

By Aghakazim Guliyev