The notorious refugee camp Moria on the Greek island of Lesvos caught fire on Wednesday night. Several thousand are said to have fled the camp, which has been quarantined due to corona infection.
Pictures from the camp night to Wednesday show large flames in Europe’s largest refugee camp, which serves as a residence for almost 13,000 people.
VG has been sent pictures of the situation from Nadine Aabø Mellem, who works with humanitarian work in the refugee camp Moria.
– The whole tenant is burning down, she wrote in a text message to VG around 02 o’clock.
When VG first contacted her on Wednesday night, she worked hard to evacuate children away from the flames.
AT LESVOS: Nadine Aabø Mellem works as a humanitarian worker in the Moria refugee camp.
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An hour later, she says that it is burning heavily on the spot, and that the police are blocking the way for refugees trying to get to nearby villages.
– Families with small children on their arms sit down along the road. We are waiting to be evacuated, while the police stand with shields and block the road down to the water and nearby villages, she writes in an SMS.
Just after kl. 03 she writes that the police do not let them out of the camp.
– I have met groups with singles I have worked with for several weeks. They have nothing, and ask me where to evacuate them. I have tried to talk to the security forces and the military, but they are most concerned with securing the area so that no one comes out. They say all minors have been evacuated, but I have met several groups looking for places to hide.
At 04.30, Aabø Mellem writes in a new text message:
– The whole Moria is gone. Completely burnt down.
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– We are waiting for daylight
VG has not come into contact with the police on Lesvos. However, a police representative said the news agency Reuters that the residents of the camp are transported to safety.
The news agency AP writes that several thousand more must have fled the camp. No injuries have been reported so far, and the fire will be under control early Wednesday morning.
– The fire spread inside and outside the camp and it has destroyed it. 12,000 refugees are guarded by the police on the main road, says the mayor of the island’s capital Mytilini Stratis Kytelis, to the Greek channel Skai.
He adds that more people must also have fled to the nearby mountains.
– We are waiting for daylight to see what has happened. I hope the evacuation has taken place in a safe manner.
The cause of the fires is not yet known, but there must have been unrest and clashes and disagreements in the camp on Tuesday night due to corona measures, reports Skai. Mayor Kytelis says the fires “were not a coincidence”.
35 cases of infection have now been confirmed in the camp, after the first case of infection this weekend, writes Reuters.
Lesvos Post reports that people inside the camp threw stones at firefighters on the spot, and local authorities confirms to AP that the fire service has met resistance from some residents of the camp.
According to Reuters, 28 firefighters with nine fire trucks and volunteers fought the flames. The fire brigade on the island was very pressured on Wednesday night: When the fires in Moria broke out, they were already fighting forest fires in Vatousa and Antissa, writes CNN Greece.
– People are panicking
The organization Stand by me Lesvos reports on their Facebook pages that they too have received reports that refugees experienced being blocked from entering nearby villages.
– People are panicking. It’s complete chaos. This could be the end for Moria, says Shirin Tinnesand, which is on Lesvos for the organization, to TV 2.
– Moria is devastated. It is a big, big fire, which is still not under control, she writes in an SMS to VG.
Residents of the Moria camp outside the camp until Wednesday night. According to the photographer, they are trying to get to the island’s capital Mytilene, among other things.
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Tinnesand does not have time to talk to VG, but writes that she works with the police and fire brigade to evacuate refugees who are stuck in the fire.
– We just rescued 40 people who were stuck. Through some coordination by phone, they explained how many where they were, this was passed on to the fire department and the police so that we got them out.
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Coronasmitte
This weekend, corona infection was detected for the first time in the Moria camp, which has been quarantined until 15 September, writes NTB. Tinnestad says that people have not been properly informed about the corona measures, and that she is not surprised by the chaos.
– People have not been properly informed about the corona measures, and experience that they are arrested when they are picked up by voluntary organizations. That is why riots have broken out, she tells TV 2.
Mayor Stratis Kytelis at Mytilini says according to the AP that the situation is difficult, because some of the people who are now outside the camp may be infected with the coronavirus.
The hitherto isolated part with those who have tested positive is completely burnt down. If the infected have not been evacuated, but have only fled the flames and are among the others, it will be very critical, says Nadine Aabø Mellem to VG.
Greek authorities and a number of international organizations are involved in the operation of Moria, and according to the UN, the condition of the camp is very poor.
On Friday last week, Minister for Children and Families Kjell Ingolf Ropstad told VG that Norway will soon be ready to pick up unaccompanied minors and families with children from Moria.
Published: 09.09.20 at 02:35
Updated: 09.09.20 at 06:13
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