At least nine people were killed and more than 30 others injured when a fire broke out at an assisted-living center near Boston on Sunday night, authorities said.

About 70 people lived at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, where the fire broke out about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday (0130 GMT Monday), Jake Wark, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Security, said on Monday.

Wark said that about 50 firefighters responded to the incident in Fall River, about 60 miles south of Boston.

The city opened up a temporary shelter for surviving residents.

Firefighters rescued numerous residents from the facility, which is designed to support older adults living independently with staff assistance. Several residents were pronounced dead at the scene, while many others were taken to nearby hospitals. One person remains in critical condition.

Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told the media on Monday that some people were hanging from windows when firefighters arrived, the Boston Globe reported.

"This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community," Bacon said, telling reporters that the fire was under investigation.

Five firefighters sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, Wark said.