Refugees flee as fire destroys Greece’s overcrowded Moria camp

A fire has destroyed the overcrowded Moria camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, forcing thousands of refugees and asylum seekers to flee.

The cause of the blaze, which broke out at midnight on Tuesday, was not immediately clear and there were no reports of casualties.

According to the UNHCR, the camp was home to some 13,000 people, more than four times its capacity.

Moria saw a spike in coronavirus infections since reporting its first case two weeks ago.

Aid groups have criticised the cramped and unsanitary living conditions in the camp, which make physical distancing and basic hygiene measures difficult to implement.

Greece has said it will build a permanent reception centre for refugees and migrants on Lesbos, to replace the destroyed Moria camp.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the new centre was a chance to reset policy on handling arrivals.

The refugees and migrants say they want the chance to be resettled in other European Union countries.

Since Moria was destroyed, they have been protesting against plans to build another camp.

Locals on Lesbos are also opposed to a permanent centre, saying that another camp would be too much of a burden on the small island.

This video was produced and edited by Al Jazeera NewsFeed’s Katya Bohdan.