Overview
- A fire broke out Friday night at Hogar El Edén in Pitrufquén and left 16 residents dead while 10 survivors were rescued and taken to hospital.
- Local and regional health officials say the home operated with documented irregularities since 2019 and the municipality requested an inspection earlier in 2026.
- The Fiscalía of La Araucanía has launched a criminal and forensic investigation, has cited the owners to appear, and deployed specialized teams to determine cause and rule out third‑party involvement.
- Seven fire company crews, SAMU and Carabineros worked through the night to extinguish the blaze that largely destroyed the single‑story dwelling where the home operated.
- President José Antonio Kast ordered urgent national reviews of elder‑care homes and the Municipalidad de Pitrufquén declared three days of communal mourning for the victims.