Six people died in a fire at a retirement home in the northern Italian city of Milan in the early hours of Friday, responders said.

Italian news agency ANSA reported on Friday that 81 people were taken to a hospital.

'Numerous' suffer from smoke

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told reporters that the fire was quickly extinguished, but the resulting fumes intoxicated several residents.

"Six people killed, numerous suffering from smoke inhalation hospitalized. Dozens of people saved by firefighters who immediately evacuated the building," the fire brigade said.

AGI news agency reported that five of the victims were women aged between 69 and 87 years old, and the sixth was a 73-year-old man.

Three of those hospitalized are in serious condition, according to Luca Cari, a spokesman for the national firefighters' service who was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

What we know about the fire

The fire brigade said that the cause of the incident was not yet known.

Sala said the blaze seemed to have started in one room where two residents were killed by the flames.

"[The fire] did not spread, not even to the neighboring rooms, but the smoke is just as deadly and the four other victims died of smoke inhalation," said Sala.

Broadcaster Rai News reported, citing Milan fire chief Nicola Micele, that four teams of firefighters were dispatched to the scene as soon as the staff raised the alarm after spotting the smoke.

"It was a particularly complicated evacuation both because of the smoke and because some of the guests were not able to walk," Micele told Rai News.

The fire took place in the privately-run retirement home "Casa per Coniugi," which reportedly houses people who are not self-sufficient but do not need hospital care.