Fire destroys Greek migrants camp, no injuries reported

Refugees and migrants stand at the closed gate of the Moria migrant camp, after a fire at the facility, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, Sept. 19, 2016.
Refugees and migrants stand at the closed gate of the Moria migrant camp, after a fire at the facility, on the island of Lesbos, Greece, Sept. 19, 2016.

Up to 4,000 migrants were evacuated from the Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos after a large fire destroyed tents and prefabricated homes.

No injuries have been reported, and some migrants have now been allowed to return to the camp.

Police are investigating whether the fire was deliberate, but an aid worker said it started after a food dispute.

There are some 5,600 refugees currently in Lesbos, according to the UN, but the island only has capacity for 3,600.

The fire destroyed 30% of the camp, according to Aris Vlashopoulos, an aid worker with the Swiss charity SAO.

“People are returning to the camp now as I can see. But the biggest number of the refugees are already on the streets, sleeping outside,” he added.

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