At least 16 elderly residents have died in a fire at a nursing home in Chile, according to authorities — the blaze broke out at El Edén home in Pitrufquen, located about 640km (400 miles) south of the capital Santiago, on Friday evening.

Firefighters Work to Extinguish Blaze

The fire, which began at around 22:30 (01:30 GMT), was finally put out on Saturday morning. Twenty-six elderly people were inside the facility when the fire started. Ten survived and were taken to a local hospital, according to the local government.

Firefighters extinguished the flames early Saturday and were still clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing the following day. Police cordoned off the area for safety. Images posted on social media showed flames engulfing the building overnight, with firefighters using a water hose to battle the blaze.

History of Regulatory Violations

The private facility had previously faced fines and enforcement proceedings for operating outside regulations. In February, the municipality had sent a letter specifically calling for an inspection because the facility was not in compliance with regulations – it was subject to sanitary enforcement proceedings, according to Pitrufquen Mayor Jacqueline Romero.

Regional health official Jose Bravo said the facility had a history of regulatory problems, describing it as an unregulated operation that had been subject to administrative proceedings and fines since 2019. “It is a situation that fills our souls with great sorrow and pain. We have been… providing support to the families,” said Romero.

Government Orders Nationwide Review

Chile’s President José Antonio Kast said he had ordered a review into the condition of nursing homes across the country. “We will fully collaborate with the justice system to clarify what happened, determine where failures may have existed in oversight or prevention, identify what alerts were raised and what actions were taken in response to them,” Kast said.

“We need to know the truth and, based on that, correct whatever is necessary to do everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again,” the president added. Kast also said he had ordered “urgent measures” to assess conditions at nursing homes nationwide and identify changes needed to prevent a similar incident.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. Local prosecutor Jorge Granada said investigators were examining the scene and questioning people to determine how the fire began and whether anyone else was involved.

This accident comes less than a week after a fire broke out at Chile’s Hotel Alto Nevados, where FIS Masters Alpine Skiing World Cup racers were staying for a preseason training camp. Municipal authorities expressed their condolences to the families of those who died. Pitrufquen Mayor Jacqueline Romero said municipal health and public safety teams, firefighters, and police were working at the scene and supporting relatives of the victims.