Fire at nursing home in Chile kills 16 elderly residents

A fire at a nursing home in southern Chile has killed 16 elderly residents and left others hospitalised.

The blaze broke out late on Friday at the single-storey care home in Pitrufquen, in the Araucania region, about 640km (400 miles) south of the capital, Santiago.

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. The private facility had previously faced fines and enforcement proceedings for operating outside regulations.

Images posted on social media showed flames engulfing the building overnight, with firefighters using a water hose to battle the blaze.

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.

“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,” Romero told local networks.

Firefighters continued removing debris and collapsed corrugated metal roofing on Saturday, while police secured the area.

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.