NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Firefighters brought under control a major blaze which raced through a New Delhi slum late on Monday and left several thousand people homeless, police said.

“The fire is well under control. There was one person who was injured,” a police official said. “Several thousand people have lost their homes,” he added.

Police said the blaze spread rapidly through the congested area due to the highly flammable plastic used for shelter by the residents.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Slum fires occur frequently in India due to sparks from kerosene stoves used for cooking.

“This is the third time in the past year this place has gone up in flames. What can we do?” said Abdul Rehman as he sat homeless on the pavement with his wife and two children.—Reuters