Flames tore through a nursing home in southern Chile overnight, leaving 16 elderly residents dead and prompting a national push to recheck conditions in care facilities.
Local authorities said the blaze broke out on Friday night at the single-story home in the Araucanía region, about 640 kilometers south of Santiago, and was brought under control earlier today.
Videos and photos posted on social media captured the fire lighting up the darkness, with flames rising above the structure as a fire truck doused the building with water.
“We express our sorrow and dismay at the deaths of 16 elderly people in this tragedy,” the municipality of Pitrufquén said in a statement.
Officials reported that 26 elderly residents were inside the facility. Ten survived and were transported to the local hospital.
Throughout the day, firefighters worked through the wreckage, clearing debris and pulling away sections of collapsed corrugated metal roofing.
“It is a situation that fills our souls with great sorrow and pain. We have been… providing support to the families,” said local mayor Jacqueline Romero, noting that municipal health and public safety teams, along with firefighters and police, were deployed.
The cause of the fire remains unclear
Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the blaze. “We are currently carrying out investigative procedures, including examining the scene and conducting inquiries, to determine the origin and cause of the fire, as well as to rule out third-party involvement,” Jorge Granada, the prosecutor assigned to the case, told local media.
The private care home’s owners were summoned to give statements.
An official from the regional health secretariat said the facility had a history of operational issues.
“It was an unregulated facility, it had faced administrative proceedings and fines since 2019, and was a repeat offender,” the official said.
“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,” the official added.
On his X account, Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast called for the truth to be established and for “necessary corrections be made to do everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again”.
He said he had ordered “urgent measures” to review conditions at nursing homes across the country.
