At least 9 dead, 30 hospitalized after fire tears through Massachusetts assisted living facility — with residents found hanging out of windows

( NYPost )

At least nine people were killed and 30 hospitalized after a fire tore through a Massachusetts assisted living facility — with desperate seniors found hanging out of windows screaming for help, officials said Monday.

Five firefighters were also injured as more than 30 off-duty smoke-eaters also raced to tackle the deadly five-alarm blaze that broke out around 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Residence in Fall River, fire officials said.

“This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said.

“Crews were met with heavy fire coming through the main entrance and multiple people hanging out the windows, looking to be rescued,” Bacon told reporters outside the Gabriel House facility.

“That is something that none of us want to ever pull up to,” the fire chief said.

“They showed up to the scene, obviously fire, smoke, and victims screaming for rescue out windows, and it makes for a chaotic scene.”

“Every firefighter on duty in the city was here,” Bacon said, as well as about 30 who were off-duty but “got up here quick enough to affect those rescues.”

The bodies of some of the dead remained inside the facility on Monday morning, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogen told WJAR. At least one of those hospitalized remains in critical condition.

The cause of the blaze, which was contained to one wing of the building, is still under investigation.

A family notification center was set up at the nearby St Anne’s Hospital chapel on Monday morning.