A 94-year-old man was pulled from his burning apartment in Bologna’s Lame neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon, according to the provincial fire service. Three fire crews, an aerial ladder and a duty officer responded to the blaze in via Giovanni Brugnoli shortly after 17:30 local time.

Firefighters entered the apartment after receiving reports that a person remained inside. They brought the elderly resident to safety and handed him to paramedics, who transported him to hospital for treatment of burns sustained in the fire. The fire service stated that the apartment was not declared uninhabitable because the flames and smoke damage were limited, a result of the rapid intervention.

Local police also attended the scene. An investigation into the cause of the fire is under way, though initial indications point to an accidental origin, the fire service said. No further details on the man’s condition were immediately available.