FLORENCE – One man has died in a fire in an abandoned warehouse in Sesto Fiorentino in this historic city, used as a shelter by around 100 homeless Somalis for the past two years.

 Two were injured and one man perished in the fire which broke out Wednesday night in the building once occupied by the former furniture group Aiazzone.

 The 35-year-old victim, an immigrant believed to be from a non-EU country, was found by firefighters inside the building in a critical condition. After a long process of attempting to revive the man throughout the journey to the hospital, he died upon arrival.

 Following the fire, the decision was made to erect two large tents in the nearby Piazza Marconi to shelter those left without a roof over their heads -- around 80 immigrants, the majority originating from Somalia.

 The mayor of Sesto aimed to find a solution for the reception of the survivors, hoping to send them to the surrounding municipalities. Yet the group does not want to move away nor be divided, determined to stay close by to the building which they had called home for the past two years.

 sw