Fire rages through 2 poor neighborhoods in Lima
Mar 11, 2012, 1:36 AM
LIMA, Peru (AP) – Authorities in Peru’s capital say a fire has raged through two adjoining poor neighborhoods, destroying 555 wooden houses and leaving 1,634 people homeless, but causing no deaths or injuries.
Lima fire department spokesman Lewis Mejia says Saturday’s fire burned for more than four hours before being brought under control. He says investigators are trying to determine what started the blaze and have not yet calculated the value of lost homes and possessions.
Civil defense official Jose Magallanes says flames spread quickly because the two districts on Lima’s northern outskirts are crowded with houses made of wood. He says the people who lost their homes are spending the night in tents provided by the government.
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