Two people die after blaze rips through migrant camp dubbed the 'Big Ghetto'
TWO people have died in a fire at a migrant camp in Foggia, southern Italy.
Flames quickly left 100s of makeshift homes destroyed in the camp in Foggia
Flames engulfed the camp in San Severo, Apulia, sparking a huge emergency response.
Officers recovered from the wreckage what they described as "two charred bodies", according to The Local.
The blaze broke out in the morning and was under control at around 7am, according to local media.
Gas tanks used for cooking and heating exploded and flames were spread quickly by the wind.
Whether or not the fire was started deliberately has not been established.
Beams were all that was left of 100 homes after a fire destroyed the camp known as 'Big Ghetto'
Campers in Foggia have been disturbed by seven fires since 2012
Fire destroys HUGE migrant camp in Italy
The camp, which is often called 'Big Ghetto' by locals, is largely made up of ramshackle huts and tents, with wood and cardboard creating makeshift homes for the hundreds of residents.
Italian media has reported the two recovered by Italy's fire service are two men originally from Mali.
The 5,000 square metre camp is mainly home to African immigrants but is by no means born out of th recent migration crisis.
‘Big Ghetto’ has been around for two decade and some residents work in agricultural jobs nearby.
Firefighters confirmed around 100 huts were completely destroyed.
The camp is currently under evacuation procedures overseen by the Italian police after claims criminal activity was sweeping through the area.
The Foggia camp in Italy was home to around 700 migrants
Around 350 of the camp's residents refused to leave their homes and 200 were protesting outside the Foggia prefecture on Thursday morning, reports claimed.
Seven fires have spread through the camp since 2012 which Regional president Michele Emiliano has described as "a disgrace, which has grown out of years of indifference".
Dozens of camps and hostels around Europe have been set on fire in recent weeks, many started by mattresses being burned.
African migrants have come across to the European Union after killings, rape and persecution at home
Hoevelhof-Staumuhle refugee facility in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany went up in flames in December in during more than 50 people.
Five people were arrested, suspected of carrying out the arson attack having allegedly set a mattress on fire.
In November a woman and child were killed in a migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos when a tent caught on fire.