Woman, 66, is the 10th person to die after Massachusetts assisted-living facility fire

FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — A tenth person has died after a fire that tore through an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts last weekend, officials confirmed on Saturday.

Brenda Cropper, 66, died at a hospital Friday, according to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III. She had been in critical condition all week, he said. Due to a miscommunication, her death for a time this week had been announced prematurely, officials have said.

The fire, which erupted Sunday evening, left some residents hanging out windows of the three-story facility screaming for help.

The cause remains under investigation, but the district attorney’s office says it does not appear suspicious. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon says the blaze started in a room on the second floor.

At least 30 people were hurt as thick smoke and flames trapped residents inside. Records and accounts from staff raise concerns about conditions at Gabriel House before the blaze.

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