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Chile Nursing Home Fire Kills 16 Residents
Confirmed
In Short: At least 16 elderly residents died in a fire at a nursing home in Chile, prompting an urgent review of the country's care facilities.
Chile's President José Antonio Kast ordered a review into the condition of nursing homes across the country following the fire at El Edén home in Pitrufquen, which killed 16 residents and left others hospitalized. The blaze, which began around 22:30 on Friday, was finally extinguished on Saturday morning.
The fire, which broke out at the single-storey care home in the Araucania region, about 640km south of Santiago, left ten others evacuated. President Kast called for the circumstances surrounding the deaths to be fully investigated and said urgent measures would be taken to assess conditions at nursing homes nationwide.
Local prosecutor Jorge Granada said investigators were examining the scene and questioning people to determine how the fire began and whether anyone else was involved. The municipality had requested an inspection in February after finding that the home was not complying with regulations and was facing sanitary enforcement proceedings.
This incident comes less than a week after a fire broke out at Chile’s Hotel Alto Nevados, where FIS Masters Alpine Skiing World Cup racers were staying for a preseason training camp.
What's confirmed
- Chile's President José Antonio Kast ordered a review into the condition of nursing homes across the country following the fire at El Edén home in Pitrufquen, which killed 16 residents and left others hospitalized. The blaze, which began around 22:30 on Friday, was finally extinguished on Saturday morning.
- The fire, which broke out at the single-storey care home in the Araucania region, about 640km south of Santiago, left ten others evacuated. President Kast called for the circumstances surrounding the deaths to be fully investigated and said urgent measures would be taken to assess conditions at nursing homes nationwide.
- Local prosecutor Jorge Granada said investigators were examining the scene and questioning people to determine how the fire began and whether anyone else was involved. The municipality had requested an inspection in February after finding that the home was not complying with regulations and was facing sanitary enforcement proceedings.
- This incident comes less than a week after a fire broke out at Chile’s Hotel Alto Nevados, where FIS Masters Alpine Skiing World Cup racers were staying for a preseason training camp.
What's still developing
- On Saturday, firefighters were still clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing.
- Fires broke out across Kyiv and power outages were reported in some areas.
- Residents trapped as partially collapsed building catches fire after deadly strike on Ukrainian capital.
- In Solomianskyi, falling debris damaged a five-storey residential building and sparked a fire, and 35 people were evacuated from the upper floors, two died and eight were injured, including two children.
- In Darnytskyi, seven people were killed and 14 injured as the attack caused fires and damaged homes, vehicles and an administrative building.
- Air force officials in Greece said the bodies of the two pilots were located during a rescue operation, hampered in the early stages by the fire on the grounds of Tanagra air force base, 60 kilometres (about 40 miles) north of Athens.
- A fire after the crash sent up large plumes of black smoke.
- There were no injuries among the spectators or residents in the wider area.