A fire broke out on Tuesday in the Colombia port of Buenaventura, consuming 30 wooden homes and leaving 200 residents homeless.
The fire occured in Santa Fe, one of Bueaventura’s poorest neighborhoods. Firefighters arrived early on the scene, and there were no injuries or fatalities, according to reports by Spanish news agency EFE.
Authorities told the press agency they did not know what had caused the blaze, but suspected that it may have been caused by a short circuit in one of the homes.
This disaster left roughly 200 people homeless, according to local media.
Buenaventura is Colombia’s most important commercial port, but 50% of its residents suffer from unemployment and 80% live below the poverty line, according to social organizations.
The port city has also gained the attention of international human rights organizations for a recent surge in homicides and other human rights violations caused by an ongoing turf war between rival drug trafficking groups.
MORE: Buenaventura homicides, disappearances, displacement skyrocketing: Ombudsman
Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca
Sources
- Fuego destruye cerca de 30 casas en un barrio en el puerto de Buenaventura (EFE)
- El incendio de Buenaventura que afectó a 200 personas (Semana magazine)