ISTANBUL

Nine people died and at least 30 were injured when fire swept through an assisted living facility in the northeastern US state of Massachusetts late Sunday night, officials confirmed Monday.

At least a dozen people were rescued from the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in the city of Fall River, some 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) from Boston, when the blaze broke out around 9.50 pm local time (0150GMT Monday), Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told reporters.

The fire escalated to five alarms, drawing about 50 firefighters to the scene, according to a statement by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

Several occupants were declared dead at the scene and "many more" were transported to nearby hospitals in varying conditions, the department said, adding that five firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Multiple agencies are investigating the fire's origin and cause of the incident at the facility, which housed approximately 70 residents before the fire.