SANTIAGO, Chile — A fire tore through a nursing home in southern Chile, killing 9 elders and their caretaker.

The nursing home is located near the city of Paillaco, some 540 miles (870 kilometers) south of the Chilean capital, Santiago. Paillaco Mayor Ramona Reyes Police confirmed the deaths after the Sunday morning fire.

She told local Radio Bio Bio that neighbors tried to rescue the elders but they had been locked inside the room. Most of the 12 patients at the nursing home lived with disabilities and mental illnesses. Reyes said it had all the permits required by the country's health service but the building's infrastructure was inadequate.

Firefighters struggled to contain the blaze because nearby hydrants failed, forcing them to use water from a swimming pool.