Fire destroys homes of thousands in Bangladesh Rohingya refugee camps, UN says

A huge fire swept through Rohingya refugee camps in southern Bangladesh early Thursday, the United Nations said, destroying homes belonging to thousands of people.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said more than 550 shelters -- home to about 3,500 people -- were either totally or partially destroyed in the blaze, as well as 150 shops and a facility belonging to a non-profit organization. Photographs and video provided to Reuters by a Rohingya refugee in Nayapara Camp showed families sifting through charred corrugated iron sheets for salvage. But little remained of the camp, which had stood for decades, aside from concrete poles and the husks of a few trees.