A fire that raged for three hours today through a Bangkok slum destroyed thousands of people's homes.
The blaze, which sent thick, black smoke into the sky, broke out in a densely populated area packed with wooden homes. A five-storey block of flats next to the slum, which is near the Australian and German embassies, was also destroyed.
"We need to find shelter for 2,000 to 3,000 people left homeless tonight after we have put out the fire," said Mr Prasarn Bamrungpan, chief of Bangkok's Sathorn District.
Residents could be seen spraying homes with water from garden hoses to stop the fire from spreading, or emptying the contents of their homes in a bid to save a few possessions.
Officials said there had been no reports of casualties and no clues to the cause of the fire.