Fire kills 1 in Brazilian shantytown

A massive fire killed one person and destroyed part of a shantytown in Brazilian city of Sao Paulo Thursday. According to the Fire Department, at least one third of the Favela do Moinho slum, which had some 2,500 residents in about 600 houses, was destroyed. The only victim's body was found in an abandoned building beside the slum, which was severely damaged by the fire. Firefighters have not managed to get the body yet due to the risk of collapse. Four people, including a firefighter, were injured in the incident. At least 11 people had to be rescued by helicopter. The cause of the fire remains unknown, though it is doubted that a woman set her shack on fire after family violence. Sao Paulo Mayor Gilberto Kassab said the residents will be evacuated to public shelters and will receive government aid later. The Brazilian Presidency's Secretariat-General Gilberto Carvalho visited the site on Thursday afternoon, promising that the federal government will do whatever necessary to help the citizens left homeless. "It is a fight which will take some time to win, long but necessary. We need to take care of these people," he said. According to Brazil's statistics agency IBGE, 2.16 million people live in shantytowns and other irregular dwellings in Sao Paulo's metro area. The figure represents 11 percent of the region's total population.