Fire rips through Dunkirk migrant camp leaving nothing but 'heap of ash' after knife brawl
FIGHTING and a huge blaze has broken out at a camp which is home to more than 1,500 migrants, according to local reports.
HUGE blaze breaks out at migrant camp near Calais
The Grande-Synthe migrant camp – just a 30 minute drive from Calais – in the early evening and is still raging, according to Le Parisien.
A reported clash between Afghans and Kurds erupted, which has left 10 migrants injured.
At least four of the migrants were rushed to the Dunkirk hospital, with three being treated for stab wounds.
A fire has broken out at a migrant camp in northern France
There is nothing left but a heap of ashes
Police in riot gear have fired at least 21 tear gas canisters in a bid to break up the melee in the refugee camp in Dunkirk.
The prefect of France’s Nord region, Michel Lalande, said: “There is nothing left but a heap of ashes.
"It will be impossible to put the huts back where they were before.”
The fighting among the migrants is believed to have started before the fire broke out.
It is believed fights broke out before the fire erupted
Local officials claim around 20 huts, each which house at least four people, are believed to have been singed as firefighters remain at the scene.
The cloud of smoke from the fire could be seen from several miles away.
Very sad to report that a large fire has broken out at the Grande-Synthe camp in Dunkirk. Many shelters and at lea… https://t.co/5np7Q8PItY pic.twitter.com/AG5BafuVdT
— People in Motion (@PIM_2015) April 10, 2017
The camp at Grande-Synthe has continued to surge since the Jungle camp in Calais, which was just 23 miles away.
In mid-March earlier this year, officials announced they would be destroying to camp following a number of incidents at the scene.
The Dunkirk camp is due to be closed
Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux told the French Senate last month that “it’s not longer just a question of re-establishing public order” at the camp.
Northern France has become a hotspot of refugees and migrant desperately trying to make their way over into Britain.