Sixteen elderly residents have died following a major fire at a long-term care facility in Pitrufquén, southern Chile. The blaze broke out late on Friday night at the El Edén nursing home, located in the Villa Comuy area of the Araucanía Region.
Emergency services were alerted to the fire on Route S-70 at approximately 10:08 PM on Friday, 11 September 2026. While ten residents were successfully evacuated and taken to local hospitals for treatment, sixteen others lost their lives in the building. Fire crews worked through the night, eventually extinguishing the flames in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Investigators have revealed that only one caregiver was on duty at the time of the fire, responsible for the welfare of all 26 residents. Regional Prosecutor Jorge Granada is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire and the facility’s operating conditions, supported by the Organized Crime and Homicide Team (ECOH) and specialist forensic units Labocar and OS-9.
According to Araucanía Noticias, the El Edén facility was already under an administrative investigation for regulatory violations that began in 2025. The municipality of Pitrufquén had also filed a formal complaint in February 2026 regarding alleged mistreatment at the site. Authorities are now verifying whether the home held valid operating permits when the fire occurred.
The Mayor of Pitrufquén, Jacqueline Romero, confirmed that municipal health and safety teams are providing support to the affected families. The specific identities of the 16 victims have not yet been released, as forensic teams continue their work and official notifications to next of kin remain ongoing.
The cause of the blaze, whether accidental or due to an electrical fault, remains under investigation. No official charges have been brought at this stage as the regional prosecutor’s office continues to review the facility’s safety records and staffing levels.
