class district, where residents of all economic classes do their Sunday shopping. Plumes of black smoke rose from its roof. The disaster appeared to have stretched the emergency services of this landlocked country, one of South America's poorest nations. Local television showed firefighters trying to plug holes in leaking water hoses with the soles of their boots. Local media called on citizens to donate basic supplies, like gloves, to hospitals. Private hospitals opened up their doors to victims of the blaze, but were short of respirators.
