Fire engulfs Chinese village, leaves 248 homeless (5)

A blaze raged through a village populated by Miao and Dong ethnic minority groups in central China's Hunan Province on Monday morning, local authorities said.

The fire erupted in Jiangkou Village in Jingzhou Miao and Dong Autonomous County at 9 a.m., destroying 58 old-styled houses that were home to 248 residents, said an official from the county government.

Fire fighters extinguished the blaze at 2 p.m. and no casualties have been reported.

The official said houses in the village are mostly wood structures that abut each other in line with the local architectural style, allowing the fire to spread quickly.

Local authorities have implemented emergency measures to offer shelter, quilts, food and other relief materials to the now-homeless victims.