Fire destroys 35 apartments in suburb of U.S. city of Houston

HOUSTON, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- A fire destroyed about 35 apartments early Tuesday morning near Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., local fire officials confirmed.

The fire occurred in in the city of South Houston, about 20 km south east of downtown Houston. Firefighters managed to contain the fire quickly, but it took more than six hours to extinguish.

The fire forced many families from their homes, but residents managed to escape without any injuries. According to the Red Cross, at least 50 people were displaced.

The origin and cause of the fire is under investigation.