Fire at Chilean nursing home kills 16 elderly residents

A fire at a private nursing home in southern Chile killed 16 elderly residents and left 10 others hospitalized, authorities said Saturday. The blaze broke out late Friday night at the single-story care home in the Araucania region, approximately 640 kilometers (400 miles) south of the capital, Santiago. Firefighters responded to the facility in the municipality of Pitrufquén and extinguished the flames early Saturday morning. Images from the scene showed massive flames rising above the building as crews worked to control the fire. On Saturday, firefighters continued clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing, while police cordoned off the area. A total of 26 elderly residents were inside the nursing home when the fire started. Ten survivors were taken to a local hospital for treatment. "It is a situation that fills our souls with great sorrow and pain," said Pitrufquén Mayor Jacqueline Romero, adding that municipal health and public safety teams, firefighters, and police were deployed to support the families of the victims. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Saturday.