Almost 800 people are homeless after a fire swept through a settlement area in city of Chimbote.

Hundreds of people are homeless after a huge fire swept through a settlement in the northern coastal city of Chimbote.

Local media have reported that early signs showed that the fire started in the kitchen of one of the homes in the camp and quickly spread.

Several gas canisters exploded, spreading the fire and leaving almost 800 residents homeless and 250 homes destroyed.

Al Jazeera’s Monica Villamizar reports.