16 Dead in Fire at Nursing Home in Southern Chile

Sixteen people have died in a fire at a nursing home in southern Chile.

Local media outlets, including the daily La Tercera and the dpa news agency, reported on the 12th (local time) that the fire broke out at around 10:30 p.m. the previous night at the "El Eden" nursing home in the Villa Comuy area of Pitrufquen, in the Araucania Region.

The blaze left 16 people dead, while 10 others evacuated and received treatment at a nearby hospital.

A total of 26 people were reportedly at the facility when the fire broke out.

Francisco Ljubetic, a spokesperson for the regional government, explained, "It appears that the flames spread rapidly from the central part of the building."

Prosecutors are investigating the exact cause of the fire.

Authorities are also probing whether the facility complied with health permits, how a report of suspected elderly abuse filed last year was handled, and the history of fines issued for past sanitary inspection violations.

(Photo: Captured from La Tercera, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.