Black smoke billowed from nearly 1,000 makeshift dwellings with thatched roofs that were destroyed by the blaze, said fire official Anoop Sharma. — File Photo by Reuters

NEW DELHI: A fire swept through a sprawling slum on the outskirts of India's capital on Friday, killing two children and injuring at least six other people, an official said.    

Black smoke billowed from nearly 1,000 makeshift dwellings with thatched roofs that were destroyed by the blaze, said fire official Anoop Sharma.

More than 100 firefighters took over two hours to douse the fire in the slum near the Bawana industrial area in northwest New Delhi.

Many residents of the area make a living collecting garbage for resale.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known, Sharma said.

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