Slum blaze in Pakistan kills 40

At least 40 people have been killed in a fire that engulfed homes in a shanty town in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, local officials say.

The blaze happened early on Friday in a northern suburb of the city.

Many of those killed were asleep at the time of the fire and struggled to get out. At least 20 others were injured.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined but may have been due either to a fallen power line or a fire lit for the cold night.

Hemmed in

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Islamabad says distraught survivors have been desperately searching the burnt-out site for family members.

Reports from the scene say those killed include a mother and father and their seven children, all aged under 12.

The wounded are being treated at city hospitals, one of which has declared an emergency.

More than half of the victims were children, along with many women.

Many more people are seriously wounded with burns and there are fears the death toll may rise.

Local officials said one reason for the high number of casualties was that the slum dwellings were hemmed in on three sides by tall buildings.

Some reports said the fire spread having been lit to warm up people outdoors on a chilly night but the provincial health minister said it might have been due to a power line falling on to the huts.

The port of Karachi is one of the world's biggest cities, with vast numbers living in similar makeshift settlements.

This appears to be one of Pakistan's deadliest fires for several years.

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