Fire rips through major Greece migrant camp after death sparks unrest
- Widespread damage reported after an Iraqi woman died after being taken to hospital with a fever earlier this week
A fire ripped through one of Greece’s largest migrant camps leaving widespread damage and many people homeless after the death of an Iraqi woman sparked unrest, officials said Sunday.
The blaze late Saturday at Vial camp on Chios island destroyed the facilities of the European asylum service, a camp canteen, warehouse tents and many housing containers, Migration Ministry Secretary Manos Logothetis told AFP.
“A large part of the camp’s administrative services was destroyed,” said Logothetis, adding that no injuries were reported.
The UN refugee agency’s spokesman in Athens, Boris Cheshirkov, said the damage is still being evaluated but that many camp residents have likely been left homeless.
“Authorities are still assessing the damages but a few hundred people are likely affected because their shelters have burned down. We have donated tents to the authorities which can quickly be put into use and we will assist in replacing the warehouse tents,” he told AFP.
Anissa, a 22-year-old asylum seeker from Somalia who declined to give her last name out of concern for her safety, said the fire “burned two big tents and each tent has more than 20 homes” inside.