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During the night, the situation in the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos escalated. After several fires broke out Wednesday night, it was almost completely on fire. The fire continued into the early hours of the morning, fanned by winds of up to 70 kilometers per hour.
According to Greek media reports, authorities began evacuating the camp that night after the residential containers caught fire. Initially, there was no information on injuries or even deaths.
This was preceded by riots among the migrants because the camp had been quarantined last week after a first case of corona. Then it was announced on Tuesday that the number of infected people was 35.
Later, some migrants wanted to leave the camp to avoid contracting the virus, the Greek semi-state news agency ANA-MPA reported. On the other hand, some infected people and their contacts who were supposed to be isolated refused to leave the camp and be detained.
Social media images show dramatic scenes
It was not initially clear whether the fires were started by immigrants or islanders; the information in this regard initially differed. After the fire broke out, residents of the camp threw stones at the firefighters and tried to prevent them from doing the extinguishing work, the operations manager reported on television. Special units of the riot police were in action. The videos on social media showed people lost, scared and also those who said “Goodbye, Moria!” singing.
Many of the more than 12,000 migrants and refugees who last lived in the camp fled to the surrounding forests and hills, while others made their way to the island’s capital Mytilene, Greek media reported. In some places, the islanders are said to have opposed them and blocked their way.
The camp has been crowded for years
There have always been tensions in Moria and the situation has now escalated due to the crown issue, Mytilinis Mayor Stratos Kytelis told Greek state broadcaster ERT. It is not known where people should stay now, thousands are homeless. The situation is also a huge burden for the locals.
The Moria refugee camp has been desperately overcrowded for years; According to the Greek Migration Ministry, around 12,600 refugees and migrants have been living there recently, with a capacity of just 2,800 places.
