Peru fire leaves hundreds homeless

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These were the scenes of devastation after a fire swept through 555 wooden houses in the Ancon district north of Lima, Peru.

With only limited water supplies, the fire raged for four hours before the flames were brought under control.

Authorities said some 1,634 people have been left homeless.

Some families have lost everything but the clothes they stand up in.

Others were sifting through the debris in the aftermath of the inferno hoping to salvage at least some of their possessions.

No deaths or injuries have been reported despite the scale of the blaze, which is being blamed on a gas cannister.

Authorities are appealing to people to donate tents and food to those who have lost their homes in the midst of a chilly winter.