A fire today occurred at a mental health center in the northwestern town of Vejprty, leaving at least eight people dead and 30 injured.

Prokop Volenik, a spokesman for the local rescue agency, said the flames erupted by 5am this morning. The deaths were mainly due to asphyxiation and they were all patients at the center. Thirty injured victims were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment, one in critical condition.

There were 35 patients and three staff members at the center at the time of the fire. Fire department spokesman Michal Zavoral said the fire was under control and authorities were investigating the cause of the incident. The town of Vejprty is located close to the German border, so German rescue workers are also involved in the response.

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis arrived at the scene and offered his condolences to the families of the dead. "This is a great tragedy," he said. "I came to find out how the government can help and how we can prevent similar tragedies from happening again in the future."