At least 16 elderly residents have died in a fire at a nursing home in Chile, according to authorities. The blaze broke out at El Edén home in /idt2/d9cfcc9a-2842-463f-a4d8-4dd007ef9547, around 640km (400 miles) south of Santiago, on Friday evening. Ten others were evacuated. The fire, which began at around 22:30 (01:30 GMT), was finally extinguished on Saturday morning. Firefighters were still clearing debris and removing collapsed corrugated metal roofing on Saturday, with police cordoning off the area for safety.

Chile's President José Antonio Kast said he had ordered a review into the condition of nursing homes across the country. 'We will fully collaborate with the justice system to clarify what happened, determine where failures may have existed in oversight or prevention, identify what alerts were raised and what actions were taken in response to them,' Kast said. 'We need to know the truth and, based on that, correct whatever is necessary to do everything possible to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again,' he added.

Jorge Granada, a prosecutor leading the case, said it was not clear at this stage what caused the incident. Local mayor Jacqueline Romero described the situation as one that 'fills our souls with great sorrow and pain' and noted that support was being provided to the families of the victims.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with no official determination yet made. The location of the nursing home is not fully specified, with only a partial identifier provided. The exact number of casualties and the circumstances of the fire's origin are still being confirmed by authorities.

The incident has raised concerns about the safety standards and regulatory oversight of nursing homes in Chile. While President Kast has pledged to conduct a national review, no details have been released about the scope or timeline of this review. The use of corrugated metal roofing in the facility has been noted as a potential factor, but no official statement has been made about its role in the fire's spread.

The death toll is reported to be at least 16, but it is not yet confirmed whether this number is final. The evacuation of ten residents suggests that the facility may have had a significant number of occupants. The lack of detailed information about the building's layout, fire safety measures, and emergency protocols has left many questions unanswered.

The incident has sparked calls for greater scrutiny of elderly care facilities in Chile. However, without further information from authorities or the families of the victims, it is difficult to assess the full impact of the tragedy.