A fire at El Edén nursing home in Chile claimed the lives of at least 16 elderly residents on Friday evening. The blaze began around 22:30 local time and was not fully extinguished until the following morning. Ten additional residents were evacuated from the facility, which is located approximately 400 miles south of the capital Santiago.
Prosecutor Jorge Granada stated that investigators had not yet determined what sparked the incident. Firefighters continued clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing on Saturday as police maintained a cordon around the property for safety purposes.
President José Antonio Kast announced he had initiated a comprehensive review of nursing home conditions throughout the country in response to the incident. He pledged full cooperation with the justice system to establish what occurred, identify any gaps in oversight or prevention measures, and determine what warnings may have been issued prior to the fire and how they were addressed.
Local mayor Jacqueline Romero expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and indicated that support services were being provided to the families of those affected. The president emphasized the importance of uncovering the full facts surrounding the incident to inform necessary corrections aimed at preventing similar disasters in the future.
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