Fire in village in China destroys scorces of houses

A fire in a 300-year-old village populated by an ethnic minority has destroyed more than 100 houses, AP quoted Chinese officials as saying Sunday.The fire in Baojing Dong village in southwest Guizhou province broke out late Saturday and was put out just over four hours later, according to a statement from the Zhenyuan county government.The official Xinhua News Agency said the village of 2,000 inhabitants was the biggest of the Dong ethnic group in that area of Guizhou and known for its Dong-style dwellings. A Zhenyuan county official said most of the houses were wooden and single level or two floors high. The official, who only gave his surname, Yao, said no casualties had been reported and the cause was still being investigated.Yao said 500 people, including firefighters, locals and officials, participated in the fire-fighting.