A camp housing 1,500 migrants in northern France has been destroyed in a fi re that offi cials said began during a fi ght between Afghans and Kurds. At least 10 people were injured when the fi re tore through closely-packed huts at the Grande-Synthe camp, near the port of Dunkirk. Last month offi cials said the camp would be dismantled because of unrest.
Th e French north coast has been a magnet for migrants trying to reach Britain. “Th ere is nothing left but a heap of ashes,” said Michel Lalande, prefect of France’s Nord region. “It will be impossible to put the huts back where they were before,” he added.
Th e population of the Grande-Synthe camp has grown since last October’s destruction of the “Jungle” camp near Calais, about 40 km (25 miles) away. Th e arrival of more Afghans increased tensions with Kurds living in the camp, AFP news agency reports, citing witnesses and offi cials.
Th e migrants have been evacuated and will be sent to emergency accommodation, with two gymnasiums nearby already made available, Mr Lalande said.
Th ere have been several violent incidents at the Grande-Synthe camp, which was built by the charity MSF (Doctors Without Borders) and opened in March 2016. Six people were left injured with knife wounds after the fi ght that started the blaze. Police intervened last month after fi ve men were injured in a fi ght, and another man was stabbed in November, AFP reported.
