Sandy: Fire destroys 100 homes in Queens

Up to 100 homes have been destroyed by a huge fire in a the flooded New York area of Queens.

More than 190 firefighters have contained the fire in the Breezy Point section, but they were struggling with some pockets of fire.

A fire department spokesman said one firefighter suffered a minor injury and was taken to a hospital. Two civilians suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

Officials said the fire began in an area flooded by Sandy after it began sweeping through the city.

The neighbourhood sits on the Rockaway peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, news agency Reuters are reporting that Sandy will have caused more losses than last year's Hurricane Irene.

Hurricane Sandy losses worse than Irene: disaster forecasters http://t.co/PpKfQRtf

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 30, 2012

So far, according to the New York Times, 11 people have been confirmed dead, with other news sources reporting that the figure is now closer to 20.