RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Brazilian state in the country's northern region declared on Tuesday state of public calamity after a fire destroyed an entire shanty town.
The city of Manaus in Brazil's Amazonas state, known as Educandos, is mostly comprised of wooden houses which are highly flammable. The fire started in the late hours of Monday and took more than 12 hours to be extinguished.
The constant wind helped spread the fire and the cars parked at nearby streets made it hard for the large fire trucks to get to the site.
Local authorities considered the Educandos fire the second worst in the history of Amazonas state. There were no reports of deaths, but 17 people were injured. One of them, a 53-year-old woman, is reportedly in serious condition.
According to the local authorities, at least 600 houses were destroyed. The families who lost their homes either went to their relatives' or were accommodated in shelters around the city.
Brazil's President Michel Temer said on Twitter that he is in contact with the authorities in Amazonas state and offered federal aid. Civil Defense Secretary Fernando Pires Junior said the affected families will receive financial aid for tents and food kits.
The police are investigating the cause of the fire.
