The alarm about the fire in the city of Fall River came just before 10 pm local time on Sunday. When the rescue service arrived, the firefighters were met with heavy smoke and flames, and many had been trapped in the building.
Several people were hanging out of the windows and wanted to be rescued, says fire chief Jeffrey Bacon.
Around 70 people were in the building when the fire broke out. Several of them were rescued by the rescue service, but others were declared dead on the scene or at the hospital. Over 30 were injured in the fire, reports local media.
The cause of the fire is being investigated.
