Nine people have died after a fire broke out at a nursing home in Massachusetts.

Residents were trapped inside the assisted living facility as flames tore through the building in the city of Fall River on Sunday, authorities said.

Firefighters rushed to the scene and were met with heavy smoke and flames at the front of the facility, with some residents hanging out of windows screaming for help.

“Nine people lost their lives in this building last night. This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Jeffrey Bacon, Fall River’s fire chief, said.

One person remains in critical condition, and over 30 were taken to area hospitals and at least a dozen were saved in a rescue requiring ladders, Mr Bacon added.