At least eight elderly people have been killed and a number of others wounded in a fire that erupted at a nursing home in northeastern Spain.

Regional officials said the fire broke out at the Santa Fe rest home just outside the northeastern city of Zaragoza, located in the Spanish autonomous community of Aragon, early Sunday.

"There are eight dead and 11 hurt, including two seriously from smoke inhalation," an unnamed spokesman from the Aragon regional government said.

The regional Interior Ministry spokesman, Gustavo Alcalde, said the cause of the fire is still unknown and is currently being investigated.

Reports say the fire appeared to have started in a bedroom on the first floor of the three-story building.

The fire department said it responded to a call from a person who said a mattress had caught fire and requested help in the evacuation of elderly people.

According to the regional health spokesman, Sebastian Celeya, a number of the residents are suffering from smoke inhalation and serious burns.

The region has been suffering from a heat wave over the past week.

A fire which lasted from July 3 through July 5 destroyed nearly 14,000 hectares of land near Zaragoza Province.