Death sparks unrest at Greece migrant camp
athens — 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 on Sunday.
The blaze late on 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 said.
“A large part of the camp’s administrative services was destroyed,” said Logothetis, adding that no injuries were reported.
The UN refugee agency’s spokesperson 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 said.
At least three vehicles outside the camp were also gutted.
A police source in Athens said two Afghans and an Iraqi had been arrested
Authorities are still assessing the damages but a few hundred people are likely affected because their shelters have burned down Boris Cheshirkov
UN refugee agency official
in relation to the unrest, which erupted after a 47-year-old asylum seeker from Iraq died in the camp on Saturday.
“We managed to restore order at around 1am... There were many people who took part in the incidents,” another police source on Chios islandsaid.
The Iraqi woman had been taken with a fever to a hospital earlier this week. At the time, a test for coronavirus had returned negative, state news agency ANA reported on Saturday.
Migrant camps in Greece have been under quarantine in recent weeks, with authorities trying to keep residents