Eight people were killed after a fire broke out at a care home in the town
of Vejprty in Northern Bohemia on Sunday morning. Another 29 people were
injured in the blaze, three of them seriously, a spokesperson for the
Ústí nad Labem Region rescue services said.
The fire service was called out just before 5 am. The fire was initially
reported as being at a senior citizens’ home but in fact occurred at a
facility for people with mental and multiple disabilities.
Bad weather meant it was not possible to employ helicopters. Seven rescue
teams were sent to the scene, including two from nearby Germany.
The director of Vejprty social services, Viktor Koláček, told Czech
Television that the building had suffered little damage and smoke had been
the main problem.
The governor of Ústí nad Labem, Oldřich Bubeníček, told the news site
iDnes.cz that it was an enormous tragedy, adding that the region would
provide assistance and soon as it had more information.