LUCKNOW, April 16 -- A massive fire swept through a cluster of makeshift homes in Lucknow's Vikas Nagar area on Wednesday evening, destroying over 280 shanties and leaving more than 1,000 people homeless, officials said, adding that no casualties were reported.

The blaze erupted around 5:30 pm in Sector 11 and spread rapidly through the densely packed settlement, triggering a series of explosions from over 50 LPG cylinders and sending thick plumes of smoke visible from kilometres away.

Nearly 20 fire tenders battled the flames for close to three hours before bringing the situation under control. Teams from the fire department, police, district administration, and NDRF and SDRF were deployed, while around 20 nearby houses were evacuated ...