Fire kills 10 elderly people in Spanish retirement home

At least 10 people have been killed when a fire broke out in a retirement home in the northern Spanish town of Villafranca de Ebro.

The blaze started early on Friday in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government's top official in Aragon region, told reporters.

All the victims were elderly people living in the Jardines de Villafranca residence, a care home for people with mental health issues, Aragon regional president Jorge Azcon told reporters.

One person was in a critical condition and another was in a serious condition, Azcon said.

The fire took about two hours for firefighters to extinguish.

Firefighter chief Eduardo Sanchez told reporters the fire was contained to the room where it started and that the fatalities were caused by smoke inhalation.

"The doors were closed, they prevented the fire from spreading.

"The tragedy could have been worse," Azcon said after visiting the building.

Several residents were treated, mainly for smoke inhalation, mayor Volga Ramirez said.

Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause of the fire.

Azcon said the priority was to transfer the residents who were not injured in the blaze to another care home in nearby Huesca.