Brazil fire: 10 killed in homeless guesthouse fire
A fire has destroyed a guesthouse for the homeless
in southern Brazil, killing at least 10 people. The fire broke out early on Friday in the city
of Porto Alegre. At least 13 people were taken to hospital, some in critical
condition, officials say. About 30 people were believed to be living at the
guesthouse at the time of the fire. The cause is unknown. Brazilian President
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent his condolences to victims' families in a post
on X. He said that the guesthouse was used to house people in
"vulnerable" situations. Porto Alegre Mayor Sebastião Melo declared
three days of official mourning in the city. Firefighters were called to the
three-story building at 02:00 local time (05:00 GMT) and brought the fire under
control within two hours. It is unclear whether the shelter was operating
legally. The fire department says it did not have a permit but this was denied
by a city official. It comes 11 years after a deadly fire in the same state
shocked the country.
BBC World News