Blaze destroys migrant camp

– Thousands of asylum seekers on the Greek island of Lesbos fled for their lives yesterday as a huge fire ripped through the camp of Moria, the country’s largest and most notorious migrant facility.

More than 12 000 men, women and children ran in panic out of containers and tents and into adjoining olive groves and fields as the fire destroyed most of the overcrowded, squalid camp.

The blaze started just hours after the migration ministry said that 35 people at the camp had tested positive for Covid-19.

Firefighters said Moria had been mostly destroyed but there were no known casualties, although a number of people were suffering minor respiratory problems from exposure to smoke.

Black smoke was still belching out of the camp hours after the fire started late on Tuesday, television footage showed.

Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said an emergency would be declared across the entire island and that reports of arson were under investigation.

Additional riot police were rushed to Lesbos yesterday and a Cabinet meeting was later held to address the emergency, the government said.

Petsas warned that authorities faced a “titanic” effort to shelter asylum seekers rendered homeless by the blaze, as well as track down and isolate dozens of confirmed coronavirus infections among them.

Greek news agency ANA said the fires had started after a revolt by asylum seekers who were to be placed in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus, or coming into close contact with an infected patient.

Moria had already been placed in quarantine until 15 September, with only security personnel granted access after temperature tests.

“There are 35 positive cases and they need to be isolated ... to prevent an outbreak among the local population,” Petsas told state television station ERT.

– AFP