At least 16 elderly residents have died in a fire at a nursing home in Chile, according to authorities.
Ten other residents were evacuated after a blaze broke out at El Edén home in Pitrufquén, located about 640 km (400 miles) south of Santiago, on Friday evening.
Jorge Granada, the prosecutor leading the case, said that the cause of the incident is still unclear at this stage.
Chile’s President, José Antonio Kast, ordered a review into the condition of nursing homes across the country, stating, “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.”
The president added, “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 fire, which began at around 22:30 local time (01:30 GMT), was finally extinguished on Saturday morning. Firefighters continued clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing, while police cordoned off the area for safety.
Local mayor Jacqueline Romero expressed deep sorrow, stating, “It is a situation that fills our souls with great sorrow and pain. We have been providing support to the families.”
