At least 16 people were killed after a late-night fire engulfed a senior living facility, leaving only 10 residents able to escape the blaze.
The fire broke out at around 10:30 p.m. on Wed, September 16, at the El Edén senior living facility between the towns of Pitrufquén and Gorbea. Several fire companies and emergency medical crews rushed to the scene as the flames spread through the building.
General Miguel Herrera of Chile’s Carabineros said early Saturday that only 10 people living at the facility had been evacuated. Sixteen others were found dead by firefighters, according to officials.
Those who escaped were taken to Pitrufquén Hospital, with some suffering injuries. A nearby school, Liceo La Frontera, was also turned into a temporary shelter for people affected by the disaster.
Authorities said approximately 26 adults were inside the facility when the fire started. Investigators noted that not everyone staying there was elderly, despite the facility being described as a senior living home. Officials also said there was one nursing assistant responsible for those inside at the time.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. After firefighters extinguished the blaze, Chile’s Organized Crime and Homicide Team, along with the Carabineros Criminalistics Laboratory and OS-9 personnel, began examining the scene and gathering information.
Investigators are also examining the conditions at the facility and whether it had the necessary permits to operate. A prosecutor told local media that authorities were questioning people connected to the home as they worked to establish what happened and how the residents were being cared for.
The identities of those who died had not yet been publicly released as authorities worked to notify their families. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not announced a final explanation for what caused the deadly blaze.
The tragedy has left the local community mourning as authorities continue working to determine exactly how the fire began and why so many people were unable to escape.