A fire at a nursing home in the southern Chilean city of Pitrufquén has killed 16 elderly residents, with ten survivors hospitalised after the blaze tore through the single-storey facility late on Friday night. The fire broke out at around 22:30 local time at the El Edén care home in the Araucanía region, approximately 640 kilometres south of the capital, Santiago. Dozens of firefighters were mobilised to battle the flames, which were finally extinguished in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Of the 26 elderly residents inside when the fire started, only ten survived and were transferred to a local hospital. On Saturday, firefighters continued clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing while police cordoned off the area. The cause of the blaze remains unknown. Prosecutor Jorge Granada, who is leading the investigation, said authorities were examining the scene and questioning witnesses to determine how the fire began and whether any third parties were involved.

The tragedy has drawn attention to a pattern of regulatory failures at the facility. Regional health officials confirmed that the home had been subject to administrative proceedings and fines since 2019 for operating outside health and safety regulations. Pitrufquén Mayor Jacqueline Romero said the municipality had sent a letter as recently as February requesting an inspection after finding the facility was not in compliance with sanitary regulations. "It is a situation that fills our souls with great sorrow and pain. We have been providing support to the families," she said.

Chilean President José Antonio Kast called for a full investigation into the circumstances of the deaths and announced urgent measures to assess conditions at nursing homes across the country. "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," Kast said.

The disaster comes less than a week after a fire broke out at Chile's Hotel Alto Nevados, where athletes competing in a FIS Masters Alpine Skiing World Cup training camp were staying, highlighting broader concerns about fire safety standards in the country. The Araucanía region, home to a significant indigenous Mapuche population, is one of Chile's southernmost and more economically vulnerable regions, where oversight of private care facilities can be particularly challenging.