DHAKA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A devastating fire swept through a slum in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka Sunday afternoon, destroying hundreds of homes and leaving thousands of people homeless.
No casualties were reported.
Eleven fire fighting units at about 2:48 p.m. (local time) rushed to the spot to fight the flames in Korail slum, with a population of about 200,000, which is one of the largest slums in the city.
The firefighters at about 5:15 p.m. (local time) brought the blaze under control, said a firefighter.
The firefighter who did not like to be named said the exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained.
According to the firefighter, some five hundred homes made of scrap sheet iron, plastic and cardboard were destroyed fully or partially in the devastating fire.
Fires are almost common in Bangladeshi slums where thousands of people are crammed in shacks along rail and waterways.
