KARACHI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Fire swept through a slum in the Pakistani city of Karachi early on Friday killing 39 people, including 20 children, officials and witnesses said. The fire broke out at about 1 a.m. (2000 GMT) and quickly engulfed about 40 huts erected on a vacant piece of land surrounded by a wall in a congested city neighbourhood. "We were fast asleep when the fire broke. It spread quickly through the entire area," said resident Maqsood Ahmed, who lost three members of his family in the blaze. Provincial Health Minister Sageer Ahmed said the blaze was believed to have been started by a fire some residents had lit outside a hut to keep warm on a chilly night. (Reporting by Imtiaz Shah; Writing by Augustine Anthony; Editing by Robert Birsel)
People sit outside their home which was destroyed by an earthquake in San Pedro de Poas, 40 km (25 mi) north of San Jose January 8, 2009. A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake ...
