MILAN (AP), On Sunday, Italian firefighters battled a fire at a Milan high-rise. The flames had spread quickly through a 20-story residential block and poured black smoke into surrounding areas. Residents were evacuated quickly.
Mayor Giuseppe Sala stated that there were no reports of injuries and deaths. However, firefighters were knocking down doors apartment by apartment to ensure there weren't any victims.
Sala said that although we are certain that there was enough time for people to escape, until controls are complete, it is impossible to be 100% sure." Sala stated that about 20 people were evacuated safely.
This 60-meter tall (nearly 200-foot-high) building was part of a recent development project. It was designed to look like a ship's keel and featured an aluminum sail on the roof. The sail burned to the ground and fell to pieces.
The Torre dei Moro reinforced concrete structure was visible for miles (kilometers) as a huge plume black smoke rose. After the dispatch of dozens of fire trucks and ambulances, flames continued to blaze for nearly three hours.
According to one firefighter, the fire was still small when they arrived. Firefighters were able get residents out. The flames quickly spread from the 15th-floor, where it appears that the fire started, and devoured the entire building's facade within an hour.
Corriere was told by unidentified residents that the facade panels were fire-resistant.
According to firefighters, the fire was caused by a fire in a 20-story building. The project has 16 residential floors and two underground.
